Deaths Spawn
by Confushi Sushi
Summary: A new race spells trouble for everyone. Now Completed.
1. Deaths Spawn 1: Taken

Title: Deaths Spawn 1: Taken

Author: Confushi Sushi

Email: confushi_sushi@hotmail.com

Rating: R (violence)

Spoilers: 202 ITLOD

Category: Action/Adventure

Pairing(s): none

Season: Some time between beginning of 3 and 5

Summary: A new race spells trouble for everyone.

Disclaimer: Not mine… No $. I'm just borrowing for a bit but I'll give 'em right back I swear.

*

A/N: My first fanfic ever, part 1 of 3. Continued in Deaths Spawn 2: Lost and Deaths Spawn 3: Found (both coming soon). Please let me know what u think!

Krell Nehas stood before the giant stone ring, hiding his trepidation. He could show no fear if he wished to meet with the gods upon his death, which was imminent. Krell felt honored to be selected for his duty; to sacrifice ones self for the glory of his people was the highest calling. Hail the Yuuzhan Vong. Dore Vong pratte.

Priests to Yun Yuzzhan, highest god, stood behind him, preparing for his embrace into death. A Beldak, a creature shaped for use as an altar, stood a short distance from the ring, porous top surface longing for the blood that would soon feed it. Krell of Domain Nehas had one simple mission, activate the ring. Touch the device of the infidels.

Technology was an abomination, an affront to the gods, a mockery of life. To use… machines was of the highest heresy one could commit, and required much atonement to return to the grace of the gods. But so far the shapers were unable to mimic this technological relic, so compromises were made. A warrior was chosen to activate the device, and immediately after sacrificed to the gods. This time it was Krell's honor to serve.

Standing tall, and bringing his fist up sharply to the opposite breast, Krell acknowledged his commander as he walked up the stone steps to the large circle, stopping before the control device. Disgust and revulsion evident with each contact, he activated the 7 symbols that designated the destination of the many soldiers and shapers and priests behind him, ships also en route to the planet in question. The center of the circle shot blue waves outward, quickly sucking the torrent back into the center to create a calm, rippling surface. The party began to move out to their destination.

Krell walked purposefully to the Beldak, humbly taking the couffee, a living double-edged knife that the head priest held before him. Standing on the altar, he listened as the priests chanted the prayers to Yun Yuzzhan, great god who gave of himself to make the universe.

"I die with honor." Krell stated simply as he stabbed the knife through his scarred chest and into his heart, relishing in the instant of searing pain before the life ebbed out of him. He collapsed, the Beldak greedily consuming his life fluids as they poured from his body. Krell's final thoughts were that of joy for his part in wiping this galaxy clean of infidels.

*

"The Goa'uld have encountered a new race, apparently from outside of the galaxy." The Tok'ra Jacob Carter stated to those gathered before them in the SGC briefing room: General Hammond, Colonel Jack O'Neill, Major Samantha Carter, Doctor Daniel Jackson, and Teal'c. "These aliens call themselves the Yuuzhan Vong."

"Are they allying themselves with the snakeheads?" O'Neill asked.

"No, they have made several attacks, successfully, against multiple System Lords. Our agents report that their ships resemble asteroids in composition and profile. The first few attacks were pure slaughters, the Goa'uld didn't know they were under attack until half their fleet was obliterated." Jacob responded.

"I fail to see the problem with this." General Hammond told his old friend.

"There wouldn't be, but these attacks don't simply stop with the Goa'uld. These aliens are attacking anything that is in the way of their goals, whatever they may be. Several planets aligned with the Tok'ra have been taken over as well."

"We appreciate the update, but I don't believe you came here just to warn us about these guys." Daniel added.

"No. When these Yuuzhan Vong showed up, they hit hard and fast, establishing a sort of toehold in our galaxy. There are outposts around their established territory, and our scouts have found one relatively new one. We were hoping to borrow SG-1 for a joint recon mission and figure out what they are up to hopefully." Jacob told them.

"If these guys are the threat you say they are then I don't see how we can refuse." Hammond informed him.

"Good, Nethat and I will be joining them on this mission. We just want to get around their base, pick up any info we can on numbers and types of armament and anything like that we can get our hands on. Anything we can learn about how they operate would be immensely useful."

*

SG-1, along with Jacob and Nethat stepped out of the Stargate onto P3X 934, the MALP that had preceded them sitting dormant on the altar that held the Stargate. There were no guards around the Stargate, which was puzzling and disconcerting. Why they would not find it necessary to defend the Stargate they could not even begin to guess.

After sending the MALP back to Earth, they split into 2 groups. O'Neill, Teal'c, and Nethat in the first group that would keep westerly of the outpost, Daniel, Sam, and Jacob scouting out the eastern side.

The immediate area around the Stargate was forest, so the teams went there separate ways into the thick trees, wary of patrols or anything else the enemy might have waiting for them. Sam took point in her group, followed by Jacob, with Daniel bringing up the rear. With her MP-5 at ready, she cautiously scanned the surrounding brush for any signs of movement, the whole time wondering what they would find. They didn't even have a basic description of these aliens themselves, none of the Tok'ra operatives were ever in a position to receive such information, and she was doubting that even the Goa'uld had had a chance to look their enemy in the face. Not knowing what exactly to look out for was highly distressing, but with the nature of 'gate travel Sam doubted she ever really knew what to look for.

With regular check-ins from the other team, Sam and her group had so far passed without even seeing any signs of the enemy. She guessed that it was not much farther until they came into view of the outpost, and from there who knows what.

"Tral nogal!" A shout came from behind them. Turning they saw a large humanoid charging at them, a spear weapon twirling at his side. It had blue hued skin, and wore a fleshy red colored armor that looked like it could have belonged to a crab or some such creature previously. Before Sam could react, Jacob shot the charging alien with his zat, but the energy weapon failed to incapacitate the warrior, he merely stumbled and continued on his charge. The second shot had the desired effect, and the creature fell limply to the forest floor, skidding to a halt feet away from the group.

"A Yuuzhan Vong I take it." Sam almost muttered.

"That would be a safe assumption. I don't think he was yelling to warn us he was coming." Jacob responded, motioning for them to move on before more came to check on their friend. Unfortunately the entire forest seemed to resound with the thudding of feet closing in on their position, and no direction appeared to afford safety or respite.

Another of the aliens crashed into sight, pulled something out of a bandoleer hanging from his shoulder and flung it at the trio. Sam pushed Daniel out of the way and watched as the projectile splattered against a nearby tree, leaving a hearty dent in the wood. Bringing her gun to bear, Sam fired on the alien as it charged with another of the spear weapons. The bullets slowly chipped at the armor, forcing her to aim for its head if she hoped to stop it. Luckily her shot ran true and dropped the alien with a hole in its right cheek. It was then that she could see the spear weapon was some sort of snake.

More Yuuzhan Vong crashed into view, crying out in their language and descending upon the group. Daniel and Sam fired upon one alien, dropping it before it could come within range with its spear. Jacob felled a second with 2 zat blasts. A third made it through and was charging at Sam, weapon held for a forceful swipe meant to open her belly. Sam couldn't dodge the attack, so she brought her gun to block the blow. Instead of clanging heavily against the barrel of Sam's weapon, the alien's spear cleaved through it with hardly any resistance, but Sam was able to back away to reduce the seriousness of the wound as the flattened tail of the snake ripped open her stomach.

Daniel recovered from the shock and shot the alien with his pistol, causing it to crumple to the ground. Sam looked in surprise at the 2 pieces of her now useless gun clenched in her hands, and proceeded to drop both before succumbing to gravity herself.

"Sam!" She heard her dad cry. She was feeling so disconnected she didn't realize when she hit the ground. Then her body seemed to register the wound it had received, and pain flooded over her.

"We have to move before more come." Daniel told Jacob. Sam's face was screwed up against the pain and her hands covered her bleeding wound, fatigues already a sickly red around her abdomen. "We can't help her if we're dead." Daniel added when Jacob hesitated.

"Yeah. Sam, you're gonna have to hold on for us. Ok?" Jacob told her.

"'K" Sam replied weakly. Jacob gathered her into his arms and they ran to find a safe place to treat her, in the opposite direction of the continual cries they heard coming out. Fortunately they found a nearby cave that was hidden by brush. It was only Jacob's keen eyesight, thanks to Selmak, that was able to spot it. It was deeper than he would have thought, and the back curved away from the entrance.

Daniel pulled out his flashlight, hoping the turn in the tunnel would prevent it from being noticed from outside, and shone it onto Sam's wound so that Jacob could treat it. First he opened her vest and jacket and opened them, leaving the black T-shirt, sticky with blood, clinging to her belly.

"Ok, Sam. I'm gonna have to pull your shirt up a bit. It's gonna hurt, but you have to try and be quiet." Jacob warned her, echoes of feet running by highlighting the need for silence.

"I'll try." She responded weakly, wanting nothing more than to welcome the sleep that pushed at the edges of her consciousness. Jacob nodded to Daniel, who then rested Sam's head on his thigh and stroked her hair soothingly. Peeling the shirt up, Sam hissed and clenched her fist, but did not cry out. With more soothing and placating words he applied a compression bandage, stemming the blood flowing from her body. Sam couldn't help the light moan; eyes tightly closed and face screwed up. When the wound had all but stopped bleeding, Jacob discarded the bloodied bandage and wrapped the wound up with clean gauze.

Jacob pressed the button on his radio. "Jack, can you hear me?" he said in little more than a whisper, not knowing what may be nearby to hear him.

"…ob what … it?" the reply came, full of static. The stone walls of the cave must have been interfering with the signal.

"We just encountered an enemy patrol. Sam's hurt, we need to get her back to the Stargate."

"W-t, -'s hurt? Ca… -d you."

"Sam's hurt, we need to get her home. Copy?" Jacob said slower and as clearly as he could.

"-t it. W-l meet … there." Jack responded.

"See you in a few." Jacob ended the conversation, peering around the corner to see if it was clear for them to leave. "Looks clear." He told Daniel.

"I'll carry Sam, you can do the shooting." Daniel stated, knowing the old man was better with weapons than he was, despite the number of times he had had to use them. Jacob nodded, then with his zat at ready, cautiously made his way out of the cave, then signaled for Daniel to follow with his burden, blissfully unconscious now. Thankfully, it appeared that the search parties had passed them by, completely missing the small hole they had hidden themselves in.

Jacob was taken completely by surprise when six of the aliens suddenly appeared out of the surrounding forest each with what looked like a bug ready in their hands. He guessed it was what that one had thrown earlier, and they held a snake staff in their other hands, some limp like whips, others held like spears or swords. Their armor ranged in color from a rusty red to deep obsidian. He knew immediately that firing would not be a good thing, and wondered why these ones didn't seem so intent on killing them first and taking back bodies later. Deciding it was the best course of action for the moment, he dropped his weapon.

Another stepped out of the forest wearing reddish-black armor and a deep blue cloak hanging down from 2 spikes that protruded from its shoulders. This one's face was heavily scarred and tattooed, all of them had various mutilations, but this one seemed to have as many wounds and marks as the warriors around him. Frayed lips caused his teeth to show as he smiled maliciously at his prisoners. Now that they weren't fighting or running for their lives, Jacob took in some more details of their new enemies. The Yuuzhan Vong had flat noses and sloping foreheads. The ones before them were all very tall, for human standards at least, seeming to average 6 or 7 feet.

"You infidels truly believed you could hide from the Yuuzhan Vong?" The leader chuckled, each word heavily accented with frequent pauses as if he were consulting with himself on the appropriate words.

"You speak pretty well, considering you guys haven't been here that long." Jacob replied, probing for information.

"We have efficient servants for such tasks." The leader responded, indicating his right ear. Daniel and Jacob both spotted the butt of something lodged inside of it. Then he spoke to his warriors. "Eksar telna do."

4 of them came forward and stripped the trio of anything that looked even remotely like a weapon, revulsion apparent on their face each time they touched a gun or a GDO, like if they held it too long it would burn their hands. When they were suitably disarmed the leader indicated and then they began their trek to the outpost.

*

Jack, Teal'c and Nethat were well on their way back to the Stargate. Though the transmission had been far from optimal, Jack had understood that Sam was hurt, and from Jacob's tone it wasn't good at all. Curious as to their progression, he turned on his radio.

"Jacob, status report." He hid his concern from his voice. But no response came. "Jacob, come in." Still no answer.

"Could not General Carter be in a position where he would not answer, or perhaps turn off his radio?" Teal'c could see the panic wash over O'Neill's features for a brief moment, and tried to assuage his friend's fears as well as his own.

"I hope that's all it is." Jack responded. Nethat remained silent, only nodding his head in assent to Jack's answer. They continued on towards the 'gate, hoping to meet up with the others when they got there.

*

When the buildings of the outpost came into view, both Daniel and Jacob were suitably shocked, like everything else of the Yuuzhan Vong's they'd seen so far, they appeared to be living. A large cylindrical building rose out of the center, with spindly arms jutting out at odd angles. Several smaller buildings shaped like many legged starfish dotted the area around it, and other buildings of various sizes appeared to be the shells of some very large creatures. A many tentacled, insect-like ship buzzed by overhead, no doubt living like the rest of these guys' stuff.

They were led into the large central building and conducted to a sort of holding cell. A clear membrane shut, sealing them within. Only 2 guards remained to keep an eye on them.

Sam began to stir, groaning as her wound protested her movements.

"How ya doing kiddo?" Jacob asked.

"I've been better. What'd I miss?" she added when she saw their odd surroundings.

"They found us on our way back to the Stargate." Daniel responded simply.

"Neither of you would happen to have a canteen handy?" Sam asked hopefully, though she knew that it probably wasn't the case.

"Afraid not. They pretty well cleaned us out." Her dad responded. Sitting there, he realized the building smelled like rotting flesh, which was none too pleasant.

*

Jack paced the area in front of the Stargate, the time he had given for Jacob and the others to show almost up. No response had been forthcoming to any of their hails. Not able to stand the lack of action any longer, Jack began dialing earth, intending to get some other teams and mount a search and, possibly, rescue mission. On the other side, Jack and the others were greeted by several SF's aiming their guns at the open wormhole, and a concerned General standing at the base of the ramp. When the Stargate shut down and they were the only ones to emerge, a frown set upon the old man's features.

"Colonel, where's Jacob and the rest of SG-1?" Hammond demanded.

"Unknown, sir. Jacob radioed saying that Carter had been wounded, so we headed back to the 'gate. They didn't show and we couldn't get them on radio. Request permission to take SG-3 and 5 and go get them, sir." Colonel O'Neill responded.

"SG-3 is off base at this time, and SG-5 just left on a mission. I'll recall them immediately, in the meantime, have yourselves checked out. Dismissed." The General answered, leaving no room for arguments.

"Yes, sir." Jack said, not at all pleased about the delay, but he knew there was nothing the General could do about it.

*

Several guards had come and retrieved the 3 prisoners, Sam being supported by both Daniel and Jacob, as they wouldn't allow her to be carried. They were brought into a large chamber, one wall transparent, allowing a view of the landscape and buildings beyond. 2 figures stood there, one of them the leader from before standing beside an obviously higher up mucky muck. The other figure, wearing a red cloak, turned in their direction, and they saw he had even more scars than the blue cloaked one. The guards snapped a fist to the opposite side of their chest and bowed their heads, receiving a nod from Red Cloak. All but 2 left, they stood by the door, snake staffs coiled about their armored biceps.

"These were the ones sent by our enemies." Red Cloak stated more than asked.

"Yes, Commander. They were no match for the great warriors of the Yuuzhan Vong." Blue Cloak replied, bowing slightly.

"Silence, Du Ghal!" Red Cloak chastised his second.

"Beliek tiu, my apologies." Du Ghal bowed deeply. Red Cloak seemed to ignore his words.

"You are infidel spies. Did your people truly believe that 3 of you were a match for the warriors of the Yuuzhan Vong?" Red Cloak mocked, and Jacob noted disdainfully that he had 2 fingers missing on his right hand.

"Um, yes?" Daniel responded, immediately cursing the Jack that had rubbed off on him.

"Just who are you anyway?" Jacob added, noticing how Sam leaned heavily on him, certain they wouldn't let her sit or lie down.

"I am Commander Calop Domain Lian. You will answer my questions. Who sent you?" When no replies were forthcoming, Calop nodded appreciably. "It is good to see that not all infidels are nedjats. Were you not mocking the gods, you might be worthy."

"Mocking the gods?" Daniel asked, the archaeologist in him unable to resist learning of other cultures.

"Do not play fools! Your… machines are an affront to life, abominations! The gods are enraged by this! Yun Yuuzhan himself calls for your blood." He told them, his voice full of conviction and hatred.

"You mean you don't have technology of any kind?" Daniel asked, causing Calop to charge forward and pin the young man against the opposite wall, hand wrapped tightly over his throat.

"How **dare** you imply such a thing!" He snarled into Daniel's face, causing the choking man to turn his head as much as he could.

"Daniel!" Sam cried out, watching the life slowly ebbing from her friend.

"You are disturbed by his pain?" He asked as he looked over towards Sam.

"Stop it." She pleaded.

"It's not enough you use your infernal machines, you must also shrink away from pain and death? Life is pain, it is to be embraced, welcomed." He let go just before Daniel could black out, causing him to fall to his knees choking and sputtering. "Nalsho tan Karina, ecka sel."

2 more guards entered the room upon the command, and the 4 took the prisoners to a different room, a cell like the one they previously left was on one side, some odd contraption stood in the middle of the room. It had the look of a rack of sorts, dark brown, almost black in color, 4 arms hung down in the middle, twitching occasionally. Jacob and Daniel were ushered into the cell, while 2 of the guards took Sam towards the ominous device. They could only watch as she was laid face down inside of the device. One guard ran his hand across some bristles on the side of the device and the arms descended down, clenching around her wrists and ankles, drawing her up off the ground in their grasps. The arms of the device twisted and pulled, forcing her arms, which were at her sides, to pull up painfully above her back, her legs also contorted into positions the human body was never meant to attain.

Sam could only manage a sharp gasp, before the gripping appendages moved again, strangling her cry. Her muscles pulled futilely against the contraption, back arched and head craned in her silent agony. As if the pain weren't enough, the contraption would readjust her position on occasion, preventing her from adjusting to the pain, which was excruciating. Drawing in sharp breaths whenever the pain would allow, Sam wondered how long they intended to keep her like this.

Jacob and Daniel were powerless to do anything to help her. In the beginning Jacob had pounded his fists against the impenetrable membrane, as he was forced to watch his only daughter put through such agony. 2 guards remained at the entrance to the room, seemingly ignoring, or perhaps even enjoying, the agonies of their prisoners. Finally Jacob slid down into a sitting position, Selmak fighting to keep his head clear and calm him enough to see their situation and any possibilities open to them.

Even turned away, they were not spared from the pain Sam was enduring. Each breath she took was a strangled gasp, causing Daniel to flinch and Jacob to shut his eyes momentarily. Before Sam could be claimed by unconsciousness, the device slackened its assault on her, but only minimally. The small respite forced a long groan as her lungs fought to catch up on the air that was so difficult to attain previously. The pain was still intense, though nothing like what it had been. Sam's head drooped in fatigue, anger washing over her as she found her eyes moistening with tears. Despite her efforts, she could not hold back the flood, wet drops splashing on the floor below her.

"Sam?" Daniel asked softly, noticing the wetness streaking her cheeks, and also wondering if she was still awake.

"Daniel." Her reply was little more than a whisper, hoarse from lack of water. Her muscles weak and sore from straining against the infernal device, she turned her head as little as she could to look at them, seeing Daniel look at her empathetically, and her father with his head in his hands. "Dad…" her sentence was cut short as the device decided she had enough of a break, suddenly pulling her arms up, the pop as her left shoulder was torn viciously from its socket audible to all. Sam screamed, her wail echoing against the curved walls, causing even the warriors at the door to stiffen slightly. The device then wrenched her arm, forcing the dislocated limb to pop back in, and Sam's scream to cut short as finally blackness descended.

*

Jack paced the briefing room for the, well even Teal'c had lost count at that time. The stoic jaffa stood by the window showing the inactive Stargate below, both waiting for the last of SG-3 to arrive. SG-5 was already present, sitting with Hammond and Nethat at the long table in the middle of the room. Colonel Griff and Captain Hanes of SG-3 also sat at the table, Lieutenants Johnson and Bailey en route. It had been 6 hours since they had returned from the Yuuzhan Vong outpost, 6 hours too long by O'Neill's account.

SG-5 had been recalled immediately, and had arrived only 2 hours prior. Griff and Hanes had been at their homes when the call had come, so they were at the base almost instantaneously. Johnson and Bailey were on their way out of town, but would be at the base within the next hour. Finally the 2 showed, almost at the same time, taking their seats at the table as the general began.

"Ok people, Doctor Daniel Jackson, Major Samantha Carter, and the Tok'ra Jacob Carter have apparently been captured by hostile forces on the planet PCX 395. Your mission is simple, to find and retrieve them if possible. I would like it if you all came back. Don't take any unnecessary risks. Ok, people, get suited up and be ready to leave in 30, Colonel O'Neill will take command of this joint mission. Dismissed." The general stated, receiving crisp salutes as the soldiers before him sprinted off to prepare for the rescue mission. Nethat stood and stopped the General before he could enter his office.

"I shall return to the Tok'ra and tell them of the current situation. I wish your people the best of luck." He informed Hammond, bowing his head respectfully.

"Very well, I just hope we can get them all back in one piece." Hammond responded.

"As do I."

*

As Sam felt the cloud of oblivion lifting, pain began to assail the edges of her mind. Try as she might to delve deeper into the protective fog, her mind wouldn't let her, bringing her to consciousness, and to the agonies that awaited her there. She moaned against the pain now consuming her, and was surprised to feel a comforting hand run across her cheek. Slowly, she opened her eyes, and saw her father staring down at her, eyes full of concern.

"Sam." Jacob said softly, watching as her face contorted against the pain she felt.

"Daniel?" Sam croaked, her voice hardly a whisper.

"I'm right here, it's ok." Daniel moved into view, giving her a reassuring smile. "How are you doing?"

She tried to swallow to bring relief to her parched throat, but was dismayed when it remained dry. "Thirsty."

"Sorry, kiddo, still can't do anything about that." Jacob stated.

"How long?"

"It's been about 2 hours since they took you out of that… thing. Pretty much right after you passed out." Daniel informed her.

2 guards escorted a third figure in. This one was different than the Yuuzhan Vong previously encountered. She wore long flowing robes, dark green with patches of black and blue mottled over it. A headdress topped her head, many tentacles dancing about, reminiscent of Medusa and her snaky locks. One of her hands was normal, for Yuuzhan Vong standards that is, and the other bore eight fingers protruding from a thick carapace, each with tips designed for specific purposes, some with pincers, others sharp for cutting. She stopped at the membrane sealing the prisoners off from the rest of the room. Tilting her head, she pulled a fat grub from a pouch in her garment and slid it into her ear.

"Commander Lian has requested you to be… studied." She informed them with her heavily accented voice, having to decide on the word that best described what she was to do to them.

"Studied? How? By you?" Daniel stuttered, his mind filling with gruesome possibilities for… studies.

"I shall examine you." She replied, irritation creeping in her words.

"And who exactly are you?"

"I am Master Shaper Nem Yin. Now silence yourselves." The guards escorted them to Yin's lab, where they were attached by their wrists and ankles to the wall by blorash jelly, a gooey substance that would only relinquish its hold when special salts were added to it. Sam was still exhausted from her time in the rack creature, so she simply slumped against her bonds.

Another Yuuzhan Vong was already in the chamber, blue mottled cloak and headdress, one of his hands a 4 fingered version of Nem Yin's 8 fingered master hand.

"Adept Tsup, retrieve some water for the subjects." Yin ordered, focusing on something on the table that protruded from the wall.

"At once, master." The Adept bowed and his headdress tangled in a gesture of supplication. He left the room.

Nem Yin walked up to Daniel's position against the wall, and ran one of her sharp digits against his forearm, causing a long trickle of blood. She touched a finger with tiny bumps and sensory nodes against the flow, tasting the contents of his life force. Pulling a creature out of her pouch, she recorded her findings, and did the same to Sam.

"Interesting." She couldn't help but exclaim. "Your blood holds the substance of the rings. We've never encountered this in a human, how did this happen?"

Sam decided it was best not to tell her of her previous experiences with Jolinar, so she simply remained silent.

"Very well, we will figure it out eventually, do not be concerned." Finally she moved to Jacob, narrowing her eyes when she looked at him. "Goa'uld!"

"I am enemy to the Goa'uld." Selmak stated in the dual tones of a symbiote, holding her head high as her eyes glowed.

"Ah, yes, you must be Tok'ra of which we've been informed. The distinction makes no difference to us, neither of you respect the gods."

At that moment Tsup returned with a gourd shaped object, and allowed each of them a few precious sips of water. Yin was studying some of Sam's blood on another creature, when her head shot up, and she shot out of the room.

*

Jack and the mixed group of SGC personnel behind him went through the woods towards the outpost with as much stealth as they could manage. It wouldn't do for them to get tied down in skirmishes on their way to the enemy base. They went the path that Jacob and the others had taken earlier, and found the weapons, GDO's, and radios discarded on the forest floor, a sure sign that they had been taken by the enemy. Jack had been relieved at the lack of bodies, certain that if they weren't there then they must be alive at the outpost somewhere.

Teal'c was tracking the footprints he had found at the site of the equipment, several Yuuzhan Vong, and 2 boot prints, one very obviously military issue, and the other with the softer shape of Tok'ra footwear. Teal'c had pointed out that the military prints were heavy set, indicating that it was probably Daniel carrying Sam. O'Neill couldn't hide his anxiousness that all 3 of them appeared to be alive, and wished to reach them as fast as possible to keep it that way.

The group stopped, hearing a deep humming sound permeate the air around them. Looking up, a large Yuuzhan Vong ship, elliptical shaped with several prominent spines poking out of it, slowly rose and made its way for the darkening sky above. The vessel didn't have the noise of an engine; merely the sound of the air being forced around it reached their ears.

An odd gurgling noise caught Jack's attention. Turning, he saw Major Dillons collapse to the ground, a large hole in the back of his head. Behind a Yuuzhan Vong stood, arm still held out from throwing the lethal projectile, amphistaff, the true name of the snake staff, slithering down its other arm into its grasp. Before it could do anything else, MP-5's and staff weapon blazed, ripping chunks out of the armored alien.

Jack looked at the downed leader of SG-5, blood and brains leaking out of the gaping hole. The sight reminded him of Kawalsky's final moments; head opened up by the disengaging Stargate. Shaking the image out of his mind, he had both bodies dragged into the nearby brush, delaying the aliens from finding evidence of this encounter. Once that task was completed, they continued on.

Soon the buildings of the outpost came into view, several buildings dotting the open field; some large and impressive, others the size of living areas or small storage areas. All of them had an organic look to them, be it fleshy shapes and tones, or shell shaped dwellings. There were too many buildings and guards for them to hope to search each one, and chances were they were in the large cylindrical central building, having the air as some sort of command center or base of operations.

"O'Neill." Teal'c got Jack's attention, then pointed to a large group leaving the large building in the distance. Taking a closer look with the binoculars, Jack made out Jacob and Daniel being led by several guards to one of the other buildings. There was no sign of Sam, he noticed.

As the sun had almost set, Jack decided to wait until the cover of darkness to attempt a rescue. When the time came, he had SG-5 hang back at their hiding spot to cover them, while he, Teal'c, and SG-3 snuck into the large shell building that Jacob and Daniel had been taken into. O'Neill was happy to note that the building was not far from the perimeter, meaning they wouldn't have to go very far into the security to reach their destination. This needed to be done as quietly as possible if they wanted to get in and out.

Creeping in the shadows, Teal'c came up behind a lone guard and snapped the alien's neck before it even knew it was under attack. Peering around the edge of the building he hid behind, he signaled to the others that the way was cleared, and they joined him behind the small shell. Lieutenant Bailey pulled out his sniper rifle, as it was silenced, and took out another guard defending the doorway of their destination.

Jacob and Daniel watched in amazement as 2 arms reached from outside of the shell and grabbed the guards standing just inside, killing them with lethal pressure before they could utter a word. Jack and Teal'c, the owners of the arms, stepped in and O'Neill gave the two captives an overly enthusiastic smile. Seeing that there were only 2 of them, he quickly returned to a stony expression. "Where's Carter?"

"I don't know, they said something about taking her to Domain Keth immediately. Wherever that is, they needed a ship to get there." Daniel informed him, and watched as Jack's face became even grimmer.

"We have witnessed a vessel leaving here several hours ago, Daniel Jackson." Teal'c informed him when he noticed Daniel's puzzled expression.

"That sounds right, she must have been on it." Daniel acknowledged, his own expression getting noticeably dimmer. Jacob stood from the ground, a determined look on his face.

"We better get out of here, that way we can find out where they took Sam." He finally said, motioning for them to go. As they reached SG-5's location cries and horn blares could be heard from within the encampment, their incursion obviously found out. Running as fast as they could, the team made their way back towards the Stargate.

Crashing could be heard behind them, and occasionally a projectile would whiz by, splattering heavily against a nearby tree or burying deeply within the ground. Their pursuers were quickly gaining on them, and soon running wouldn't be enough.

"Teal'c!" Jack sounded, taking cover behind a tree and laying down fire into the barely visible figures charging at them. Teal'c copied his move, setting the air ablaze with sizzling energy from his staff weapon, taking down any Yuuzhan Vong unfortunate enough to stray into the weapon's path. Gaining themselves a brief respite, they continued on with the rest of the group.

The maneuver was copied several times on their way to the 'gate, keeping their pursuers a safe distance away. Once at the DHD, they spread out and took defensive positions while Daniel dialed Earth, the opening of the wormhole greeted by staccato bursts from weapons and screams of anger and death from their assailants. Colonel Griff had taken a projectile in the shoulder, blood running heavily down his arm. Teal'c sent the code to open the iris on the other side, and slowly the group made its way into the safety of the shimmering vortex, never turning away from the enemy that was now recklessly advancing on them.

Once Jack stepped onto the ramp of the SGC, being the last person through, he cried out "Close the iris!" Before the heavy metal barrier could contract completely, a projectile whizzed by, chipping the concrete wall below the control room. Several thuds rang out against the trinium alloy before the telltale sound of the 'gate disengaging was heard.

Doctor Janet Frasier and her medical team were already taking care of the wounded as Jack turned and regarded the people around him.

"Welcome back people. Mission briefing at 1100. Go get yourselves cleaned up and checked out." As the other people filed out of the 'gate room, Hammond stopped Jack. "Colonel O'Neill, what do we know about Major Carter?"

"She's still alive, sir, last Jacob and Daniel knew. They said that they were real interested in her for some reason, and she was moved before we arrived." He replied.

"Don't worry son, we aren't going to give up on her that easily."

"Yes sir." Jack saluted, and then went on his way to the infirmary.

*

Sam sat in the corner, well as much of a corner as a living vessel was going to have, of her small prison. Her joints were still stiff from her previous torture, causing her movements to be kept to a minimum. She had been left alone since they had brought her onto the ship, several hours ago, and she wondered what they could possibly be planning for her. What were they doing to her dad and Daniel right then? What of the Colonel, Teal'c and Nethat? Drawing her knees up to her chest, with just a little more than mild discomfort, she wrapped her arms tightly around and hid her face behind her knees, dreading what was to come. Whatever was apparently so important that they couldn't do it to her on the planet.

Sam looked up when she heard someone entering the room. A male shaper, one she hadn't seen before, not that she had seen any other than the 2 before, walked in and gave her an appraising look.

"I am glad we could find you." He told her.

"What are you talking about?"

"You have been lost since just after birth, infidels kidnapped you from your creche. But now you are returned."

"No. I am not Yuuzhan Vong." Sam told him, standing up.

"Indeed you are, but the infidels brainwashing was quite thorough. They defiled your mind and body. Fear not, for Domain Keth shall save you, Calisa of Domain Cha." He informed her.

"I am Major Samantha Carter of the USAF. I am **not** one of you!" Sam screamed the last sentence at the shaper, backing against the rough wall behind her.

"The process will be difficult and painful, but you shall be reclaimed. You shall remember who you truly are."

Continued in Deaths Spawn Lost

Feedback to confushi_sushi@hotmail.com


	2. Deaths Spawn 2: Lost

Title: Deaths Spawn 2: Lost  
  
Author: Confushi Sushi  
  
Email: confushi_sushi@hotmail.com  
  
Rating: R (violence)  
  
Spoilers: 202 ITLOD  
  
Category: Action/Adventure  
  
Pairing(s): none  
  
Season: Some time between beginning of 3 and 5  
  
Summary: The menace continues to spread. The search begins.  
  
Disclaimer: Not mine... No $. I'm just borrowing for a bit but I'll give 'em right back I swear.  
  
*  
  
~*~ A creche keeper, a female Shamed One, the shunned cast, picked her up to allow the babe the nourishment it cried for. ~*~  
  
Sam shook her head, dispelling the image. It was false, put there by the Shapers of Domain Keth. Images, sounds, even smells from her supposed time in the Domain Cha worldship, a massive vessel housing thousands of Yuuzhan Vong, came to her unbidden.  
  
"What is your name?" Master Shaper Negal Keth commanded.  
  
Sam hesitated. How many times had he asked her that very same question? Each time it was harder to answer, every time they implanted the memories they dug in that much more. After a noted pause she replied. "I am Major Samantha Carter, USAF."  
  
"You are Calisa Cha, stolen by the infidels. They made you think that you were one of them. You are of the proud race, the Yuuzhan Vong."  
  
"No!" Sam slumped to the ground; just realizing their entire exchange had been in Yuuzhan Vong. With the memories of the worldship, they had also implanted knowledge of their language. She knew then, no matter how hard she fought, they would win. It was only a matter of time.  
  
*  
  
Bounce. Catch. Throw. The tedium of tossing the ball against the wall was supposed to allow him to forget, if only for a moment. It failed. Each time the ball thudded against his office wall, Jack thought about what the aliens may have been doing to Carter at that very moment. Almost 2 weeks had passed since the mission, 2 weeks that Major Carter had remained in Yuuzhan Vong clutches. 2 weeks too long.  
  
Finally, Jack couldn't stand it any longer. Sitting in his office doing paperwork was not going to find his 2IC. The problem was they didn't know where to look. Even the Tok'ra were working hard to find the whereabouts of Sam, but it was virtually impossible to receive information about an enemy that couldn't be infiltrated. A human would stick out like a sore thumb amongst these alien invaders.  
  
Before he knew what he was doing, Colonel O'Neill found himself entering Hammond's office after a terse knock. The General looked up from his work to regard the man before him.  
  
"Something I can do for you, Colonel?" Hammond asked, letting a note of irritation creep into his voice.  
  
"Yes, sir, there is. SG-1 can get off their butts and actually go out there and look for Carter." Jack informed him, anger lacing his words.  
  
"Colonel O'Neill." The General warned.  
  
"Sitting here is not going to help her!"  
  
"Colonel!" Hammond barked, causing the distraught man to go silent, then continued in a softer tone. "Jack, I understand how you feel. I would not hesitate to mount a rescue mission, if the risks were acceptable and we knew where she was, but at present we don't. Nothing can be done until we know where she is. Until then, SG-1 will be assigned a temporary, and I stress temporary, replacement and sent on routine missions. Do I make myself clear?"  
  
"Completely." Jack responded dryly. He understood the General's reasoning, but it didn't mean that he liked it.  
  
*  
  
Daniel stood in the doorway to Sam's lab, staring at the table strewn with devices SG teams had brought back for study. For a moment he had forgotten that she was missing, and had come to talk. Now he stood frozen in place.  
  
"Daniel Jackson." Daniel turned to see Teal'c walking down the hallway towards him.  
  
"Teal'c, what is it?"  
  
"A briefing has been scheduled in one half hour." Teal'c informed him. Then after a short pause added. "You have come seeking Major Carter?"  
  
"I don't know, I was just walking, not really thinking. I'd always come to talk with her around now. Forgot that she isn't here." He almost had to laugh at the euphemism; it sounded more like she was on an errand to buy groceries than prisoner of an alien race.  
  
"Indeed." Teal'c bowed his head slightly in acknowledgement.  
  
*  
  
"What is your name?" That question yet again, the absurdity of it all forced a nervous chuckle from her lips. But she had to think. What was her name? Calisa Cha? Samantha Carter? Yuuzhan Vong, or infidel? Which one was the truth, and which the lie? The answer eluded her.  
  
"I don't know." She admitted.  
  
"That is good. The infidel control of you is waning. It will not be long now before you embrace your true heritage." Sam didn't know whether to rejoice or cry.  
  
*  
  
SG-1, with Captain Grogan filling in for their missing member, stepped out onto P8Z 335. No current indigenous life was found by the UAV, only the ruins of a city just a few kilometers from the Stargate. A Danny Planet, as Jack liked to refer to them.  
  
"Ok, let's get to Daniel's rocks so that we can get back." Jack muttered. Everyone knew he thought the mission was a waste, that he wanted to be out there looking for his missing 2IC. Immediately they knew that he wouldn't make it easy on them.  
  
A creature, barely recognizable a humanoid, stepped out of the tree line and into the clearing surrounding the Stargate. SG-1 watched on in shocked silence as the figure took a step forward with it's good foot, good being used very loosely as flesh hung from tendons and bone, and slid the other very mangled and broken leg behind it. Finally they were able to make out the cracked remnants of the living armor that the Yuuzhan Vong had worn at the outpost. Even so it was impossible to make out the warrior the bloodied mass had once been, and none could explain how it still remained on its feet, much less still be alive. It continued to make its way even closer.  
  
It opened its mouth, blood filling it's gaping maw and dripping down its chin. One eye hung uselessly from its socket; the other swollen so there was only a tiny slit. With its only arm, the other having been torn off just above the elbow, it pulled a couffee out of its belt. Mandibles working to make sounds, but only wispy gurgles came out, the dying alien took another step forward, then another. Jack raised his MP-5, prepared to fire if the Yuuzhan Vong came any closer.  
  
The alien nodded to him, choosing the honor of falling in battle, and took another step forward. The report of the shot hung in the air for long moments. The body lay in a boneless heap before them.  
  
"O'Neill!" Teal'c sounded, bringing their attention to two death gliders streaking across the sky and three seed shaped craft, fatter near the rear and tapering at the ends, raced after them. Burning plasma spat from small nodules in the seed craft, known to their creators as coralskippers. The searing hot balls smashed against the death gliders, melting off wings and eating through to the cockpits, devouring the helpless pilots. The semi- liquid masses crashed to the ground, disappearing into the thick forest.  
  
A wing of gliders came after the coralskippers that just destroyed their own, modified staff weapons firing angrily at the enemy ships. 10 meters from the ships, the shots simply vanished, sucked into tiny singularities created by dovin basals, creatures affixed within the nose of the coralskippers that were responsible for both flight and shielding. These creatures locked onto the gravity signature of objects, even ones great distances away, and quite literally pulled the ship towards them, and in a similar way they were able to create tiny black holes by focusing their pull into small points. The new gliders were destroyed before they could even attempt a second pass.  
  
Deciding a battlefield was not the best place to be, the team retreated back through the Stargate, leaving the Goa'uld and Yuuzhan Vong to slug it out on their own.  
  
*  
  
"SG-1, what the hell is going on?" General Hammond questioned when his premier team walked through the Stargate only moments after they had left.  
  
"Goa'uld and Yuuzhan Vong are having a little altercation on the planet." Jack explained.  
  
"Altercation?"  
  
"Yes sir. Death Gliders and some weird Yuuzhan Vong ships. Doesn't look to be going very well for the Goa'uld involved." He didn't know what to think. It was a lose-lose situation no matter which side came out of it better off.  
  
"This war has spread pretty quickly." General Hammond interjected. The planet they had just 'gated from was supposed to be well away from any such complications. It seemed that there were very few places to go to escape the fight that was being waged across the Galaxy. He didn't like how this boded for SG teams going out in the field.  
  
*  
  
"Everybody, cover Higgins while he dials the 'gate!" Major Fells told his team, a seemingly endless hoard of Yuuzhan Vong charging their position. They had made it a fair distance from the Stargate when they found the enemy presence on the planet, and were lucky to have made it so far without any fatalities. Lieutenant Sans' arm was cut open pretty badly, a projectile bug with razor thin edges had seen to that. It had even swept around for a second pass, but Fells had managed to destroy it with some lucky gunfire.  
  
Higgins pressed the symbols on the DHD as quickly as possible, sounds of anger and death filling the air around him. Seven symbols locked in, all that remained was to press the orange crystal and they'd be on their way to safety. He raised his hand, then felt his legs simply give out. Shock clouded his senses momentarily, before the pain of the exploding projectile hitting his lower back even registered.  
  
"Sir!" He cried out, but his voice was little more than a whisper. No matter what Higgins may try, he knew he couldn't get himself up to press the crystal. Hell, he'd never get up again... if he survived.  
  
Fells turned and saw Higgins writhing on the ground near the DHD, blood soaking the back of his jacket. He saw the glow of the 7 chevrons and the 7 coordinates on the DHD, realizing instantly that the orange crystal must still be pressed. They were effectively pinned, anyone who got up now wouldn't get a foot, much less to the 'gate. All that remained was to see how many of these guys they could take with them.  
  
Then the projectiles stopped coming, so they stopped firing as well. The warriors stood there, ready to resume the attack at a moments notice. Only for that reason did Fells not rush his team to the Stargate.  
  
A figure came forward, obviously the leader of this group. He wore no cape, but had an impressive mask to go with his blood red armor. A staff, smaller and leaner than its amphistaff cousins, adorned his shoulder. "Surrender now, infidels."  
  
Fells remembered what they had been told about Doctor Jackson's and Major Carter's experience as the prisoners of these creatures, and didn't relish that for his team. Looking around he received nods of agreement; they weren't going down that easily. "Sorry, no can do."  
  
"It was not a request." The warrior replied, before darkness descended on them all.  
  
*  
  
Hearing was the first thing that returned to Fells. Murmuring of 2 individuals conversing. Form began to come to these sounds, and words were made.  
  
"One should return." A female voice insisted. Her words were cold and merciless, a vision of a female Yuuzhan Vong forming in his muttled head.  
  
"They are infidels. All of them should go to the great sacrifice." A male voice countered, with the tone of a pure fanatic. Probably the warrior who had captured them, but he couldn't be sure.  
  
Second to return was feeling, and with that, a great wave of pain. Blossoming from seemingly ever nerve in his entire body, Fells couldn't stifle the telltale groan of consciousness.  
  
"Supreme Commander Nas Choka has given me authority on such matters. Do you question his orders?" the woman countered, and he could imagine the evil sneer spread across her frayed lips.  
  
Opening his eyes though, he saw the lips were not as he imagined. Nor the face, or any other part of her. Even confined within the pale green armor, her golden hair was a dead give away. She returned his gaze, scrutinizing him as one would a head of cattle for the slaughter. Sadly, he remembered, that's just what they were.  
  
"Major Carter?" he asked weakly. It looked like her, but gone was the warmth and kindness that usually comprised her features.  
  
"Do not call me by that foul name, infidel! You'd be wise to observe silence." She spat back, angered by his words. Her voice was so dark as to be almost unrecognizable.  
  
"What the hell have they done to you?" It was just then that he saw the scars on her forehead, 3 vertical stripes that ran from just above her eyebrows into her hairline. Fells wondered exactly what they put her through to get her against her own people.  
  
"What have they done to me?" she responded with amusement. "They have rid me of the lies of the heretics in this galaxy. They saved me from those who would have me corrupted." The pride in her features was blatantly obvious. She truly believed that these things had helped her, and that thought sunk his heart even deeper.  
  
"You have not answered me, subaltern." She turned back to the warrior, ignoring Fells' existence.  
  
"I do not, honored one." He bowed slightly and raised a fist to the opposite shoulder.  
  
"Very well." She looked back on the members of SG-5 littered before her. "That one will return with our message. Kill the others." She stated, pointing to Fell.  
  
"Wait, no! Let them go back. Kill me instead." He pleaded.  
  
"There will be no negotiation. I have spoken." She replied, warriors dragging away the others. Semi conscious screams of agony filtered back to his ears, dying away all too quickly. "Now you. You shall return to the SGC. Tell Hammond that this galaxy is now Yuuzhan Vong. Prepare for your new masters." She leaned in closely, for a second her stony features softened, and she whispered, "Help me."  
  
Then Carter and the warriors left, disappearing into the woods.  
  
*  
  
Klaxons blared around the base as the chevrons began locking, announcing the incoming wormhole. The "Unauthorized off world 'gate activation" rang over the intercoms, drawing the members of SG-1 inexorably to the Control Room. When they arrived the Stargate was already open, and a lone figure emerged from the cerulean surface. Blood adorned the man's body and torn uniform, but they quickly recognized it as Major Fells.  
  
"Medic to the 'gate room!" the technician on duty called into the phone, as the General and SG-1 rushed down into the room. The Stargate cut out, and for a moment the silence in the room was almost deafening.  
  
"Major Fells, where is the rest of your team?" General Hammond asked, already knowing that he would not like the answer. The man sat heavily on the edge of the ramp, holding his head in his hands.  
  
"Major?" Hammond prompted again after a long pause.  
  
"They're dead, sir." Fells finally replied, almost in a whisper.  
  
"What happened?" Jack cut in, ignoring the mild glare the General sent him. Just then the medical team entered, checking out the severity of Fells' wounds as he answered.  
  
"Yuuzhan Vong. We, they attacked us. We managed to get back to the 'gate, but they had us pinned down. Higgins was injured before he could finish dialing, and there was no way anyone would have been able to make it to the DHD to finish. They stopped firing and ordered us to surrender, knocked us all out somehow when we refused."  
  
"These Yuuzhan Vong are spreading far too quickly." Hammond stated after a short silence. It seemed they couldn't go anywhere now without encountering their presence.  
  
"Sir, I saw Major Carter." Fells added, stopping the medical staff from leading him away just yet.  
  
"What? She was there? Is she ok?" Jack fired off question after question, leaving no room in between for answers.  
  
"Depends on your definition of ok, sir." Fells replied, Jack's face displaying his desire for a better answer. "She, she ordered my team be killed and that I return, to deliver a message. I don't know how, but Major Carter is working for them now. She thinks she's one of them."  
  
The last admission left all of them silent for a few moments. When Hammond sufficiently recovered, he asked "And what message is that."  
  
"Basically, that the Yuuzhan Vong were going to rule this galaxy and we should prepare to serve them. I, also, she said something to just me, that the other's couldn't hear. I think there's still a little bit of her fighting them. She, asked for help." Finally, the medics pushed him out of the room, refusing to tolerate any more delays on tending to their patient.  
  
"We must retrieve Major Carter immediately." Teal'c intoned, Daniel nodding his agreement. Jack also voiced his desire to go get her.  
  
"I cannot in good conscience send anyone else to that planet at this time. We don't know their numbers or how long they are planning to stay. I doubt that anyone would return from a second attempt. Plus, from the sound of it, Major Carter will be of no assistance in her own rescue. We will send this information to Jacob and perhaps the Tok'ra can keep an eye on the planet for us; monitor ship traffic and 'gate travel. I'm sorry, but now is not the time to go in guns blazing, all that would get us is more death." They could see the General's dismay at his own reasoning, but could also tell that he was right and couldn't be swayed.  
  
"Yes, sir." Jack responded gruffly, barely controlling his anger as he all but stormed out. Teal'c bowed respectfully to Hammond and took his own leave, the archaeologist not far behind.  
  
*  
  
Baal was immensely pleased with himself. The alien curs had tried to take Erala from him. Ships full of hundreds of Yuuzhan Vong warriors had touched down, and several large capital ships had set up orbit around the battlefield. But Baal, he was clever, much more so than these hapless fools. Jaffa on the surface had been strapped with high yield explosives set on a timer. He had ordered them to charge as deep into enemy ranks as possible. The aliens didn't know the danger of the objects on his warriors, entire divisions simply winking into oblivion. Similarly, death gliders had been equipped. The aliens shielding tended to suck in the small ships before they could impact with the hull, but his warriors had learned to detonate prematurely, the singularity shielding unable to capture all of the blast generated. After, it was easy work for his ha'taks to clean up the remainders.  
  
Realizing that he had only so many jaffa that could be wasted thusly before his armies would suffer, Baal made plans for his human slaves to bear the brunt of the casualties in future engagements.  
  
Baal was immensely pleased with himself.  
  
*  
  
Calisa stood in the large antechamber trying to quell the tremors that ran through her body. Sam, something deep within her amended, but she ignored it. She didn't have time for this struggle again; she needed to calm herself. The Warmaster, Tsavong Lah, wanted to see her, and it would not do to appear nervous. Fear was not acceptable.  
  
The 2 guards standing before the membrane looked at her with barely hidden smiles. They could see the anxiety in her eyes. Calisa stared back with vehemence; she would be well within her right to challenge them both for such an insult. They were formidable fighters though, and she decided that it was not worth it.  
  
"Enter." The command was spoken, but the deep voice carried well through the closed membrane, and it was all she could do to not shrink away. The 2 warriors stepped aside, one running his hand over a pad on the wall, the tongue tasting his unique fluids, accepted them, and opened the hatch sphincter.  
  
Calisa entered with due haste, attempting to appear casual. The tall figure of the Warmaster stood at the far wall, staring into space through a transparent membrane. Walking to the center of the room, Calisa dropped to one knee, bowing down almost to the floor, crossing both hands across her armored chest. Where fear would not do, disrespect would not be tolerated either. She remained in that position, making no movements or sounds until the Warmaster allowed her to do so.  
  
"You are Calisa of domain Cha." It was a statement, so she neither confirmed nor denied, "The one that the shapers of domain Keth have reclaimed from the heresies of the infidels."  
  
"It is as the Warmaster says." She affirmed, struggling to keep her voice even. He turned to face her, Calisa did not see the movement as her eyes were cast downwards, but the whisking of the end of his cape against the floor told her this.  
  
"Rise." The tone was neutral, a voice that expected immediate obedience and promised punishment for failure.  
  
"Yes, Warmaster." Calisa stood, but did not look him in the eye, for that was not part of the order. She instead cast her gaze on his chest. Instead of wearing Vuduun crab armor, his station had allowed him to get implants, plates of armor growing from his flesh. Yuuzhan Vong craved such mutilations, scars and tattoos were badges of honor. She simply wore the mark of domain Cha, 3 vertical stripes on her forehead. Hopefully, though, that would change soon.  
  
"You have lived among these infidels for a considerable time. As such, you have detailed knowledge of their tactics. You are able to think like an infidel, thus you can give us valuable information about them." Again, he stated rather than asked. And again, that small voice within her rose up, demanding that she tell him nothing about what he demanded. But one did not refuse the Warmaster.  
  
"With your wisdom and skill such information is unnecessary." Calisa tried to deflect, and ordered the voice into silence; she could afford no distractions when dealing with the Warmaster.  
  
"Only a fool would not use knowledge at hand to ensure victory."  
  
"Of course, Warmaster. Your wisdom is infinite." She bowed down to acknowledge that she conceded the point.  
  
"Now, tell me of the one's known as Tau'ri."  
  
*  
  
Moloc looked about the battlefield with barely contained anger. Nearly all of his ground forces at Arta had been killed. He had beaten off the attack this time, but there was little left for his victory. All would surely have been lost, but he had found the spy within his ranks. That a Yuuzhan Vong could have achieved such a thing fueled his anger, causing him to scream his rage.  
  
An alien had entered his midst and gone unnoticed for weeks! The vile creature had been cloaked in a living skin, giving him the appearance of a human. When his scientists had dissected the skin, naquadah had been found flowing within it, allowing the spy to pass off as a host. A creature had been found lodged within its throat, allowing it to mimic the nuances of Goa'uld speech. Now, Moloc intended to have his revenge.  
  
The System Lord traveled to the prison area of his flagship, 2 guards following in his wake. He stopped as soon as the alien came into view. It was laughing! The jaffa charged with torturing the prisoner looked bewildered for a moment, then reapplied the pain stick with renewed vigor. The Yuuzhan Vong, chained firmly against the wall, stood with a neutral expression on his face. Once the jaffa stopped again, it continued its tirade.  
  
"Is this all you infidels can do? It is no wonder you fall so easily in battle!" the creature taunted.  
  
"Silence!" Moloc bellowed, outraged that this creature would refuse him the satisfaction of hearing it beg for mercy. His empire was now severely weakened, and Moloc swore he would have retribution. "You will tell us of your people's plans and strategies."  
  
"I will not." The Yuuzhan Vong agent flexed his arms causing sharp talons to spring forth around his wrists. The thick leather manacles gave instantly, and the warrior was charging at Moloc before he could react. 2 staff blasts rang through the air, the alien falling dead mere inches from his foot.  
  
Turning, Moloc activated his ribbon device and sent the 2 guards flying into the wall. He would not kill them, for they did their job well, but he needed a release for his anger. As the 2 jaffa lay recovering, Moloc stormed out.  
  
*  
  
General Hammond entered the Control Room after receiving the call of an incoming wormhole. As the chevrons locked he looked to the technician. "Who's out now?"  
  
"SG 3 and 6, sir. Neither are due back for at least 6 hours."  
  
As soon as the last chevron locked and the tidal wave receded back within the ring, Hammond had the iris closed. Everyone waited eagerly for something, an IDC, a thud, something to signify who was on the other side. Nothing happened for several long moments.  
  
"Sir, we're picking up a radio signal." The technician advised excitedly.  
  
"Patch it through."  
  
"-ee, this is Major Samantha Carter, do you read?" came the frantic voice of the missing woman. She panted heavily.  
  
"Major Carter?" Hammond asked, having a hard time believing that this was even possible.  
  
"General, sir. I don't have a lot of time, they are going to come looking for me soon. Please, you need to open the iris." Her voice was full of desperation, pleading even.  
  
"Major, how are you able to send this message?" from all reports he had the Yuuzhan Vong used biotechnology, he didn't know if they were capable of sending radio transmissions.  
  
"I managed to get one of SG-7's radios." She said, indicating Major Fells now dead team. "Please, sir, let me through."  
  
"General, what's going on?" Colonel O'Neill asked as he walked in.  
  
"Sir?" Sam's voice came through the speakers.  
  
"Alright, Major. We're opening the iris now." Hammond said, nodding to the technician.  
  
"Thank you, sir." She replied. The metal slid against itself and the rippling surface of the wormhole became visible. The SF's in the Gate Room aimed their weapons at the 'gate, making sure it was only their missing comrade that was coming through the Stargate.  
  
A round of projectiles flashed through the 'gate, hitting SF's and concrete without discretion. As the rest of the SF's headed for some sort of cover, Yuuzhan Vong warriors began pouring through, throwing more thud bugs as they came.  
  
"Close the iris!" Hammond commanded, then went to the intercom. "Security to the 'gate room! We have a breach!"  
  
"Sir, the iris won't close! It's not responding!" The technician alerted him frantically.  
  
"Then shut down the 'gate! Close the blast door!" Hammond responded as he watched the overwhelmed SF's losing their battle. Over 20 warriors now filled the 'gate room, the SF's pushed into a corner. Their armor turned the bullets with little difficulty even at such a close range, and headshots were difficult for the guards to attain. 6 Yuuzhan Vong fell, the SF's in the 'gate room either dead or dying. The invaders then went to the heavy door, ramming the hulking frame, but to no avail.  
  
One of the Yuuzhan Vong cried out in rage and thrust its amphistaff into the fuse box. Hundreds of thousands of volts streamed through his body, sparks flying from the contact point. When its violent spasms finally freed it from the severed wires, it fell to the ground still smoking. All of the power on base shut down, emergency lighting soon going up. The power loss opened the blast door and the warriors, screaming and ranting, poured through into the rest of the base.  
  
Guards had finally reached the room, firing at the attacking hoard from around the corner, dodging exploding and razor bugs that the warriors threw at them.  
  
*  
  
"Security to the 'gate room! We have a breach!" Teal'c was instantly out of kel'no'reem as soon as the words were uttered through the intercom. Spurred on by the urgency of the message, Teal'c ran to the armory. He was picking up his staff weapon when the power cut out with a dying moan. He was again running through the dark hallways before the emergency lighting could activate.  
  
"O'Neill!" Teal'c called as he saw Jack further down the hall. The man rushed to the jaffa.  
  
"We've got a situation. Yuuzhan Vong have gotten through the 'gate." Jack told him as Teal'c handed him a zat that he had also taken from the armory, seeing that his friend was unarmed.  
  
"We must endeavor to stop them." Teal'c responded, rushing down the hall with the Colonel in tow. Sounds of the struggle between Yuuzhan Vong and SF's filtered down the darkened hallways, snarls and gunfire filling the air.  
  
"What's the situation, Airman?" the Colonel asked as they rounded a corner and saw the group of soldiers trading shots with the enemy.  
  
"We've got a dozen uglies around the corner, sir." He responded. A soldier peeked around the corner to get a few shots off at the approaching group, but fell backwards from the force of a thud bug, the exploding bug, connecting with his face. The other soldiers looked on with horror, before continued cries from the attackers drew their attention back to the fight.  
  
"Teal'c." Jack motioned with his head, and both he and the large jaffa took up positions near the corner, pushing aside some of the more hesitant soldiers. With a silent count, they all thrust their various firearms around the corner and fired blindly into the thrall of warriors. The Yuuzhan Vong were so tightly packed in the narrow corridor that most shots hit, but many were turned by the impressive armor that the creatures wore. 2 succumbed to the attack and fell limply to the floor. The aliens charged recklessly at the defenders, disregarding anything of safety or protection.  
  
"Their numbers are too great." Teal'c stated, firing at the advancing hoard as he did so.  
  
"Ya think? Fall back everybody!" Jack replied, firing around the corner in an attempt to buy them all some more time to make it to the next bend. The others covered Jack and Teal'c as they made their way to the safety of the corner, the Yuuzhan Vong making it around the bend.  
  
Teal'c felt the projectile connect with his thigh, gritting his teeth as he continued to fire and limp towards safety. One of the aliens fell dead from a headshot, tripping up the eager ones behind it. The momentary confusion was enough to allow both of them to make it to safety. More of the warriors fell dead as the soldiers began to aim more for their heads, realizing that body shots were all but useless. 2 more airmen fell before the remaining Yuuzhan Vong could be neutralized.  
  
*  
  
"The infidel device remains silent." The warrior informed Calisa, referring to the Stargate. She had instructed each warrior sent through on how to use the base computer to reopen the 'gate, but she did not expect their return. 23 warrior would not be enough to take out the SGC, she knew that well enough. But something inside her had made the prospect of destroying the facility unthinkable, so she had taken some liberty with the attack details when presenting them to the Warmaster. He would be greatly displeased by the failure, and she cursed her weakness in letting the infidel part of her cloud her judgement.  
  
Perhaps, though, she was important enough to survive this disgrace. Her time with the infidels had given her the power to use Goa'uld technology. This thought caused her to look down at her right hand, gloved in a brown- red creature reminiscent of leather. Opening her palm, the orange crystal glinted in the sun. Shapers had created this living hand device just for her, adding to the proof that she would not be so readily discarded. Even so, she decided in the future to not let herself be swayed by the lingering thoughts of the infidel within her.  
  
"Then, we must assume that they have been unsuccessful." She responded offhandedly, looking down at the modified villip, a Yuuzhan Vong communications creature, that she had used to send the signal to the SGC. This one was equipped with a living antenna, a creature that had been fed a heavy diet of conductive metals during its creation to allow it to send and receive radio waves.  
  
"Should we not send a message to the Warmaster?"  
  
"Not yet, we shall give the warriors until nightfall before reporting their disgrace." Just in case she was wrong about her importance, she intended to place all of the blame on the ineptitude of the warriors. It never hurt one to be cautious.  
  
*  
  
"16 personnel were dead before we were able to get to them. 2 died shortly after, 1 is in critical condition and we doubt that he will make it the night. 5 more have various minor to moderate wounds and should make a full recovery." Doctor Fraiser informed the group who now stood before her in the infirmary. Teal'c sat on a nearby bed, a nurse tending to his leg, despite his protests that his larva would repair the damage. General Hammond and the other 2 members of SG-1 were also present. All had mournful looks on their face, as much for the loss of life the attack had caused as the fact that one of their own had tricked them into it. None could truly believe that, against her will or not, Sam was now working for the other side.  
  
"This. I just can't believe that it happened." Daniel tried to put to words what everyone was thinking. It had been determined that along with the radio transmission, a signal had been sent to disable the iris, indicating that Sam was in on more than just providing bait. It was all just too much for any of them to really absorb.  
  
The klaxons blaring for yet another off-world activation caused all, save Teal'c, to flinch noticeably.  
  
*  
  
"We're getting an IDC. It's the Tok'ra, sir." The technician stated as soon as the General entered the Control Room.  
  
"Open the iris." He stated, making his way down to the Gate Room, teams still cleaning up from the recent slaughter.  
  
Jacob exited the Stargate, eyes immediately falling to the cleaning teams and the blood still visible on the walls and floor. "What the hell happened here?"  
  
"A little surprise from the Yuuzhan Vong." Jacob was already aware of Major Fells' report, so George hoped that he could piece it together himself. The thought of actually saying "your daughter tried to kill us" was not at all appealing.  
  
Jacob looked thoughtful for a moment before the implications completely sunk in, and then his head drooped. "We have come to tell you that we have located Samantha." Selmak stated.  
  
"And where is this?" Hammond asked.  
  
"She is currently on an uninhabited planet with a small guard. One of our tel'taks is orbiting the planet. There are no ships in the area and they have not left through the Stargate. We only have one agent aboard the ship, so we are unable to attempt an extraction ourselves." She explained.  
  
"How small of a guard are we talking?" They had lost many good people that day, but Hammond figured they could help prevent further disaster if they could reclaim Major Carter.  
  
"Our agent did a low pass while cloaked and encountered 8 warriors." Jacob retook control and added, "Whoever you decide to send, I'm going too."  
  
George nodded his approval, knowing there was nothing he could do to convince the man otherwise. "If I could spare them, I'd send out as many teams as I could. But today's events just don't allow for that. SG-1 and 4 will go. We'll have a briefing in half an hour and you can fill them in on what you told me." Jacob nodded to his friend and they both made their way to the briefing room.  
  
*  
  
"Why the hell don't they just leave through the Stargate?" Colonel Selders asked when Jacob had finished his explanation.  
  
"As you are aware, the thoughts and tactics of the Yuuzhan Vong are not always apparent to us. They have thrown whole armies at Goa'uld position, inflicting heavy losses on both sides. The Tok'ra have been to planets that they have conquered and left. The technology on such planets has been completely demolished. All we can be certain of is that they are a violent and fanatical race."  
  
"Yeah, their appreciation for technology is definitely lacking." Daniel responded to Jacob's reply, absently rubbing at his neck.  
  
"So, what's the plan?" Jack asked.  
  
"I am in possession of a communication device with which we can coordinate with the cargo ship. If at all possible we just need to isolate Sam and ring up to the tel'tak with her. Obviously, if we can avoid engaging their forces head on, it would be in our best interest." Jacob answered.  
  
"Major Carter will undoubtedly resist her capture." Teal'c supplied.  
  
"Then we bring zats along. Stun her if we have to." Jack answered determinedly, more intent than ever to get back the missing member of his team.  
  
"A zat may not be enough. In our first encounter, the report states that General Carter had to zat a warrior twice just to stop it. What if it's the armor they wear rather than their genetic makeup that neutralizes the stun capabilities of the weapon? According to Major Fells, Major Carter was wearing such armor." Captain Grogan pointed out.  
  
"Well, son, there's not much we can do about that. We'll just have to hope that it works out." Hammond answered, his face looking especially grim.  
  
"I guess that's everything. So, when do we go?" Colonel Selders asked.  
  
"In 30 minutes, if they are still on the planet we have to assume they are waiting for something. That means we want to be in and out before we find out what it is. It will be dusk on the planet so gear up accordingly. Dismissed." Hammond finished, standing up from the head of the table. The others then rose and left to get whatever they would need for the mission.  
  
*  
  
"Honored One, the sun sets." Keelak Tel, Calisa's appointed second pointed out.  
  
"Do you assume me blind?"  
  
"Beliek tiu, such was not my intention." He bowed slightly.  
  
"Very well, bring me the Warmaster's villip." She ordered; staring into the fire the warriors had started. A small native creature akin to a small deer was roasting above it. Keelak ducked out of sight and quickly returned with a fleshy orb slightly larger than a basketball. At the top the skin was puckered, and Calisa lightly brushed her hand over the imperfection. With the touch the ball inverted in Keelak's hands, mimicking the face of the Warmaster. An identical villip on his ship would be performing a similar task, taking on the shape of her own head.  
  
"Report to me." The villip commanded, perfectly copying the tone and nuances of the Warmaster's voice. His face held an expression of impatience, so she began immediately.  
  
"The attack has failed, Warmaster. None of the warriors have returned." She informed him as she bowed her head, hoping the receiving villip would adequately mimic her pose.  
  
"You assured me that this battle would be an easy one." His face hardened perceptibly.  
  
"Apologies, Warmaster. I cannot be faulted for the ineptitude of the warriors allocated to me."  
  
"As useless as they may have been, they died with honor." He responded.  
  
"It is so." she agreed. They died in battle, an honorable passing.  
  
"Honored One! The credjit has been disturbed!" A warrior called out. The credjit was a creature that detected movement around it and sent a signal to its cousin, the greedjat, which would shrill loudly. She was able to make out the nose in the still air, and the shuffling as the warriors about her prepared themselves. The villip only sent her voice, so the Warmaster was oblivious to all the proceedings.  
  
"Warmaster, I must leave. There is an intruder upon the planet." She explained hastily.  
  
"So be it. The ship is on its way." At that the villip reverted to its original, inactive, state. Keelak set aside the communicator and summoned his amphistaff from its coil about his arm into his grasp.  
  
"We must destroy the trespassers." He smiled wickedly, the thought of spilling blood setting him off.  
  
"Patience, Keelak. Do not be hasty. First, we must determine who is here and their numbers. Break the warriors into teams of 2. Each team will take an indiscriminant villip and we will coordinate our attack if such is appropriate." Calisa ordered, fastening a baseball sized villip to her shoulder.  
  
"You do not suggest that we may shrink from battle?" Keelak questioned. Yuuzhan Vong were too proud to flee, even if the situation offered no other alternative.  
  
"I tire of your repeated questioning of my commands." She returned impatiently. "Form the teams now!" Keelak did not try to hide his distaste for the command, but finally went to carry it out.  
  
*  
  
The 2 teams and Jacob cautiously worked their way through the darkening forest. They had split up earlier, opting to try for a flanking maneuver when they found their quarry. Jack and his team were swinging wide right of their last known position, Selders' group taking the left. Jack was thinking how he didn't like the fact that the Stargate was unguarded, as Sam was too smart to make such a mistake, when Jacob's device signaled.  
  
"What is it?" Jacob asked the operative on the other end.  
  
"There is increased activity at the enemy base camp. It would appear that they are aware of your presence." The Tok'ra's voice warned through the device.  
  
"Not good." Jacob stated to those around him, though they all heard the message.  
  
Jack pressed the button on his radio. "Selders, this is O'Neill, looks like we've been found out. Keep your head up."  
  
"Copy that." The other Colonel replied. Only moments later his radio received another signal "We're under attack! Carson is down!"  
  
"We're on our way, Colonel. Hold on!" Jack replied, setting off with his team to assist their comrades. They crashed through the woods with little regard for stealth, knowing that if they wanted to help Selders' men out at all they needed to be quick.  
  
Upon entering visual range of the site, they saw that they were already too late. 4 human bodies lay at odd angles in the small clearing, 3 Yuuzhan Vong bodies mixed in with the group. A fourth warrior stood, obviously wounded, stabbing repeatedly into one of the corpses with his amphistaff. It hadn't even acknowledged their presence when all 5 of them opened fire, bullets, zat energy, and staff blasts cutting through the durable armor.  
  
"Damn it!" Jack cursed, unable to look away from the death displayed before him. They were all contemplative for a few moments, before realizing that this was not the best place to be doing such a thing.  
  
Then, on one of the aliens shoulders, an orb began to emit an odd language, the owner of the voice obviously angered. Listening more intently, though words could not be made out, Jack realized that the voice was familiar, though just barely. The looks he saw on the other's faces, even Grogan was able to piece it together, let him know that they too had reached the same conclusion.  
  
The ball went silent for a moment. "Colonel O'Neill." Sam's voice was laced with malicious amusement. They all stood there, wondering what to make of this statement.  
  
"Yes, Colonel, I know you are there. Who else would be sent?" the mocking statement was followed by a soft chuckle, so out of Sam's usual character as to be sickening. "I see that these warriors must learn how to better follow my commands."  
  
"Can she see us?" Daniel asked, wondering if it was just intuition that fueled her words. None of them knew, so no one replied.  
  
"Do not be shy. Stroke the orb and then we may speak." She stated. Jack looked around at those of his team, wondering if this would be a good idea. It seemed too elaborate of a way to kill him, so finally he stepped forward to the dead warrior. After pausing a moment, he kneeled down and hesitantly touched the ball, which had a rough, gooshy texture.  
  
"Sam?" he tried.  
  
"She is no more. I am Calisa domain Cha." Sam replied, anger creeping into her voice.  
  
"Come on, Carter, we know you're still in there somewhere. You need to fight this." Jack insisted.  
  
"Fight this? You would have me be a weak infidel with no respect for the gods. I will not turn back to that path." Jack imagined that he could see the proud smile on her face, her belief in her own words weighing heavily on him.  
  
"Major! You get your act together right now, got it?" he all but screamed, frustration causing him to grasp at straws. She just needed to see the truth.  
  
She laughed, "You know, I have always wanted to say this. Screw you." Then she added belatedly, in a mocking tone "Sir."  
  
The orb contracted noticeably, and Jack knew then that their conversation was over. He found himself wanting to slump there in defeat. They may be able to reclaim her body, but what about her mind?  
  
*  
  
As soon as she broke contact, Calisa punched the tree she stood near. She had to grit her teeth against the pain, but she welcomed its distraction from her current anger. The warriors had gone against her orders and attacked. A message she had received from one of their villips had told her that they had overwhelmed the group they attacked, but they had still undermined her authority. Now she had 4 men against whatever they had brought with them, which was undoubtedly the rest of SG-1. They intended to take her back to Earth with them, and she refused to let it happen. If she could keep the rest of the warriors in line, which would be a difficult task with Keelak there questioning her every decision, she might be able to hold out until the ship arrived to retrieve her. If only the disruptive verak had been killed along with the others, she mused remorsefully.  
  
The other warriors stood around her now, having been recalled after the fiasco. Calisa decided that 1 extra warrior was useless if she couldn't keep him in line.  
  
"Keelak." She summoned, and he stepped forth.  
  
"Yes, Honored One." He saluted by snapping his right fist to his opposite breast.  
  
Calisa slowly walked up to him, standing only a few feet from him when she stopped. "You are a dissenter, and as such, a poor excuse for a warrior." He stiffened at the insult, but was able to do nothing else as Calisa brought up her gloved hand and activated the hand device. For a short time Keelak was able to resist the waves of agony sent by the organic ribbon device, but even a Yuuzhan Vong couldn't hold out against its power forever. He gritted his teeth and his legs began to shake noticeably. Soon he fell to his knees, forehead blistering against the continued assault of energy. Her anger fueled the device, her rage at him searing his brain within his skull. When his eyes went glassy and he ceased struggling she deactivated the device and glanced at the other warriors casually. Calisa was duly pleased when they all shrunk back only slightly.  
  
"Now, is everyone ready to do things my way?"  
  
*  
  
"Herak says that his scans detect only 4 signatures." Jacob told the others the Tok'ra operatives' findings.  
  
"I thought he said there were 8 warriors. 4 were killed in the clearing so there should be 5 signals all told." Daniel supplied, the others nodding in agreement.  
  
"Be that as it may, that's all that he can see." The old man replied.  
  
They followed the Tok'ra's directions to where the Yuuzhan Vong were headed, it seemed that Sam was now taking them in the opposite direction of his team.  
  
"O'Neill." Teal'c called out, standing deeper in the woods. The others came over to see what the jaffa had found, and were greeted by a Yuuzhan Vong lying face first on the ground, weapon still coiled around its arm. When the others had congregated Teal'c used the toe of his boot to kick the body over. The burn mark on his forehead was apparent to all, even with the scars and tattoos that adorned his face.  
  
"Hand device." Jacob told them all, though they didn't need him to point that out.  
  
"If these guys are so anti-tech how'd she get a hold of one?" Jack asked the man.  
  
"How the hell should I know?" Jacob answered defensively. This situation had them all high strung, so Jack offered a silent apology that Jacob accepted with a small nod. The mystery of their missing warrior solved, they continued their search for Sam.  
  
*  
  
This was growing tiresome! The man simply would not stop; not that she expected anything less from Colonel O'Neill, or the others. But now she wanted nothing more than for them to leave her alone. She cursed in Yuuzhan Vong when the sound of them crashing through the undergrowth became audible. She ordered the lambent crystal in her hand to darken, the bio- engineered equivalent to a flashlight, and motioned for her warriors to do the same. They spread out, hoping to catch their pursuers as they passed through the middle of their ranks.  
  
The flashlights bounced between the trees, and stopped. What were they doing? She counted 5 of them, she didn't expect to encounter any more than SG-1 and perhaps a fill in. Supposedly the disobedient warriors had killed any others. She couldn't make out their faces from such a distance in the darkness, but she easily picked out Teal'c, standing taller than the others with his staff weapon in hand.  
  
"Carter, we know what you're trying to do. It wont work." The Colonel called out. Damn them, how could they have known? This situation was intolerable, but she refused to let them see her phased.  
  
"Impressive." She commended as she stepped out from her hiding place. She knew they wouldn't hurt her. They cared for her, and that is what made them weak. "I must ask how you figured it out."  
  
"Sam." Jacob stated wearily.  
  
"Ah, Dad. I should have known you would be here too." Calisa cooed in a sickeningly sweet voice. She would buy time, it shouldn't be long before the ship arrived and she didn't have to worry about these ones any longer. The warriors were apparently getting restless, so they left there own positions and stood around her.  
  
"This isn't the real you, everyone knows this. Sam, let us help you." Daniel added, hoping his plea would get through to her. He couldn't bring himself to believe that there wasn't something of her left, various actions had pointed to this. She had spared Fells and was undoubtedly responsible for the continued existence of the SGC.  
  
"Save your breath. Maybe, if I kill you all you will finally realize that you can't turn me." Calisa smiled, but the gesture was devoid of any compassion. Slowly, she raised her gloved hand. She watched as their eyes widened in shock, but they didn't move. Her hate for them, for their infidel ways and aversion to pain and death, caused the jewel to grow brighter and brighter. They would die, and she wouldn't have to worry about anyone else coming for her ever again. But, before she could fire, images of her old life with them passed through her mind. Remembering all the times she had saved their lives and they hers, Calisa was angered to note that the crystal died down. She loved them. She hated them. The emotions warred within her.  
  
*  
  
Teal'c saw the hesitation in her movements. He saw the crystal of the bastardized hand device glow and fade as she fought the battle within herself. The device could go off at any time, but none of them moved. To do so would symbolize that they had given up on her. If they did so then she would most certainly give up on herself.  
  
With a guttural cry, she finally beat down whatever caused her hesitation. The group jumped aside as the rippling wave shot towards them, but Daniel and Grogan were unable to make it completely out of the way. The force shot them several feet backwards before they connected heavily with the ground.  
  
Being closer, Teal'c grabbed Grogan while Jack pulled Daniel behind some cover. Teal'c got himself and Grogan behind a tree and prepared his staff weapon to fire. The Yuuzhan Vong warriors and Sam took cover themselves, the warriors showing more caution than their predecessors.  
  
"Carter, we don't have to do this. These guys can go off and do their thing and you come with us. No one else has to die." Jack called out, fixing his weapon in their direction.  
  
"I am not going back with you!" another blast followed her reply, breaking off smaller branches from the trees. Jack ducked behind the tree as the debris rushed past. He could hear the Yuuzhan Vong shuffling through the trees and faintly see their outlines. Teal'c fired at one who exposed himself too much, staff blast cracking his chest plate and driving him against a tree. The warrior recovered quickly though and rushed to the next patch of safety, flinging an exploding bug at Teal'c as he ran. The jaffa was forced to shelter behind the tree as the warrior made it to safety.  
  
"Selmak, Jacob!" Herak cried through the communication device.  
  
"I'm here, what is it?" Jacob responded.  
  
"A Yuuzhan Vong ship has just arrived. It's going to enter the atmosphere in a few moments!" Herak informed the man. Jack and Daniel were nearby, so they both heard the Tok'ra's warning as well.  
  
"Teal'c, we need to get Carter and get out of here now!" Jack used his radio to keep the enemy from hearing their plight. "We got a ship coming."  
  
"I understand, O'Neill." They all went on the offensive, but were unable to advance very far as they made sure their shots didn't stray too near Sam. The warriors fought back in a frenzy, the 3 launching thud bugs as though they were an entire army.  
  
"You must get into the clearing if I am to transport you aboard." Herak notified them, the tel'tak visible as it raced down to their position. Cloaking was pointless at the current time and would just make it harder for them to get into position for the rings.  
  
"Teal'c, we gotta go." Jack notified him, and they began to fall back to the small clearing behind them. He didn't like the idea of leaving Sam behind, but he had the rest of his team to think about. Despite their cover fire, the warriors continued to harass them as the retreated.  
  
"This is not going to work!" Grogan said as he continued to fire at the Yuuzhan Vong, their armor and the trees making a meaningful shot all but impossible.  
  
"We have no choice Captain!" Jack replied. They just had to hope that the rings came down fast when they reached the clearing, or they weren't going to last long. "Is he ready?" Jack addressed to Jacob.  
  
"He's waiting for us." Jacob affirmed.  
  
Jack took a moment to see that they were on the skirts of the clearing, the sound of the cargo ships engines humming loudly behind him. They weren't going to get a better shot, and the enemy ship would be on them in any moment.  
  
"Let's go!" Jack called out. They redoubled their attack as they backed into position for the rings to pick them up. The warriors ducked behind some trees against the onslaught, but Sam continued forward, knowing that they wouldn't hurt her.  
  
The compartment that housed the rings opened up as Sam raised her gloved hand. Everyone ducked to dodge the blast, but Jack was still busy trying to keep the warriors pinned and didn't get down in time. Daniel also reacted too slowly and the blast shot them out of the transport area. The rings descended and picked up the other 3 men before they could react.  
  
Jack lay on his back and was mesmerized by a brilliant flash of light in the air. He quickly recognized the ball of plasma that fell from an almost invisible point in the sky. It crashed against the top of the cargo ship, splashing over the shields and pushing the ship several feet downward before it could recover. The tel'tak then accelerated forward, dodging more blasts from the attacking ship. Jack and Daniel could only watch as the cargo ship cloaked itself, forcing the dark Yuuzhan Vong ship, which blended in well with the night sky, to give up pursuit.  
  
2 amphistaffs pointed menacingly at Jack's throat brought him out of his musings. The third warrior was covering Daniel. With no other option open to him, Jack laid down his gun and Daniel did the same. Sam then stepped into view.  
  
"Colonel, Daniel, how good of you to stay with us." She taunted. In near silence the Yuuzhan Vong vessel landed on the other side of the clearing. It was about the size of an al'kesh, a Goa'uld mid-range bomber. Elliptical in shape, the ship was a dark purple with veins of red and blue running through it, resembling a bloodied limb. A hatch opened, and a walkway rolled out like a giant tongue. 3 Yuuzhan Vong, 2 warriors and 1 dressed in a living loincloth and sort of flak vest stepped out.  
  
Sam spoke to the new arrivals, and they acknowledged whatever it was she said. 2 warriors each pulled Jack and Daniel to their feet.  
  
"So, where are you taking us?" Jack asked, staring at Sam. Her evil smile stopped him from adding anything sarcastic. Daniel was looking at the ground, probably trying to avoid seeing her as she was now.  
  
"You are going to meet the Warmaster." She replied, and then they were half- dragged, half-pulled into the awaiting ship.  
  
Continued in Deaths Spawn 3: Found. 


	3. Deaths Spawn 3: Found

Title: Deaths Spawn 3: Found  
  
Author: Confushi Sushi  
  
Email: confushi_sushi@hotmail.com  
  
Rating: R (violence)  
  
Spoilers: 202 ITLOD  
  
Category: Action/Adventure  
  
Pairing(s): none  
  
Season: Some time between beginning of 3 and 5  
  
Summary: The war strikes out in earnest. Can things ever go back to the way they were?  
  
Disclaimer: Not mine... No $. I'm just borrowing for a bit but I'll give 'em right back I swear.  
  
*  
  
The tiny cargo ship exited hyperlaunch in a vastly empty region of space. The heat scarring along the topside of the vessel would have been blatantly obvious to anyone, had anyone been looking. Those within the ship could hear the moaning protest of the outer hull, the forces bombarding it testing the integrity of the weakened skin.  
  
Teal'c and Jacob Carter were in the cockpit of the Tel'tak, shutting down every nonessential system they could. Quickly, Captain Grogan and Herak entered, wondering why they had dropped so far from anywhere.  
  
"What's wrong?" Grogan asked as soon as he entered.  
  
"The engines heat output spiked. Apparently we suffered more damage than we first thought." Jacob replied, turning slightly in his chair to start a full diagnostic. As soon as the system beeped that it was complete, Jacob sagged in his chair.  
  
"What is it?" Herak then probed.  
  
"The engine itself is warped. We're not going anywhere."  
  
"Isn't there any way we can do; some kind of repair?" Grogan suggested.  
  
"We'd have to go outside of the ship and we don't have the necessary equipment to do so." Herak informed the young Captain.  
  
"Should we not send a distress call?" asked Teal'c.  
  
"Could be a very bad idea. This area of space is closer to the front between the Goa'uld and the Yuuzhan Vong than any planet with an allied power. Chances are the wrong people would hear it first." Jacob stared into the screen, hoping to find some sort of solution. Unfortunately, none made themselves apparent.  
  
"Maybe we should just send the signal and hope for the best. If we just sit here we have zero chance." Everyone pondered the young man's words. He was right, if they wanted any chance for survival they would have to send the distress call and just hope the right guys were listening.  
  
*  
  
"Sir, we received a response from the System Lords." Sargent Davis informed the General after knocking on his office door.  
  
"And?" he prompted.  
  
"They say that the alliance would be unacceptable under present terms." Davis answered reluctantly. This joint endeavor was the only way to get rid of the alien invaders, and he knew it as well as anyone else.  
  
Hammond pondered the news for a moment. "Have we received word yet from the Tollan and the Asgard?"  
  
"The Tollan said that they would join if the Asgard were too. We haven't gotten a response from the Asgard yet, sir."  
  
"Thank you, Sargent. Keep trying."  
  
"Yes, sir." Davis saluted and then returned to his post. When he was alone again, General Hammond let out a long sigh. They still had a ways to go yet.  
  
*  
  
The smell was cloying. The stink of rotting flesh seemed to saturate the air. Daniel tried to breathe through his mouth, but that only left the taste on his tongue. For a moment he debated which was worse, then resumed breathing through his mouth.  
  
A warrior walked by, nonplussed by the odor of the ship.  
  
"Hey! Excuse me! You wouldn't happen to have any air freshener on you by any chance?" Jack called out to the alien, and Daniel knew even before the towering brute turned towards them that it had been the wrong thing to do. The Yuuzhan Vong walked over and viciously backhanded Jack, his cheek tearing to drip blood down the side of his face.  
  
"Galak!" The alien warned, and then resumed his normal duties. You didn't have to be a linguist to realize they had just been told to shut up. Daniel turned his head as far as the goo that surrounded him would allow, and was just able to make out Jack in his peripheral. They were both submerged to their necks in a thick, brown-red gel that effectively stopped any movement and seemed to also serve to nourish them. All they could do really was stare at the opposite wall and watch anyone who passed by.  
  
"I do hope you find your accommodations... comfortable." Daniel snapped his head up to see Sam standing in front of them, pale green armor complete with a sweet smile. It was the same as the smile that he remembered her giving on many occasions, but something about it was different. Instead of bringing warmth, his insides felt chilled and he tried to look away.  
  
"The décor is nice, but the health spa could use a little work." Jack replied, obviously trying to mask his discomfort.  
  
"Still don't know when to keep your mouth shut I see." Sam stated as she ran a finger through the trickle of blood on Jack's cheek. He pulled his head away violently, but was unable to escape the touch. She chuckled at his efforts and then proceeded to spread the blood across one of Daniel's cheeks. "Don't worry, I'll make sure you live long enough to see the Warmaster. He would be awfully disappointed if you didn't make it."  
  
Daniel squeezed his eyes shut as her lips descended, lightly brushing his bloody cheek. The act sent violent waves of nausea through him, and he just managed to keep the bile down. Giving them both one last smile, she left the room.  
  
Never before had Daniel thought death would be such a prospective alternative.  
  
*  
  
"We should accept the Tau'ri's offer for alliance!" Lord Yu bellowed to the other System Lords convened. They had already sent the message stating that present terms were unacceptable, but he had not survived as a System Lord for so long by being a fool. "If we allow the Asgard and these others to take casualties for us, we will all be better off."  
  
"I will not ally myself with those scum!" Heru'ur bellowed, standing up from the large table.  
  
"It will not be a permanent affair. We shall merely use them to end this war so that we may again set our sights on other goals." Yu rebuffed, remaining comfortably in his seat.  
  
"I do not need the help of outsiders to secure my domain! I have thwarted countless attempts by these invaders to take what is mine!" Baal stated triumphantly.  
  
"You have thousands of casualties, human and jaffa, to show for it! What will you rule when this is over?" Volak rebuffed, a recently new member to the group of System Lords.  
  
"I have lost 2 planets, 2! You all have suffered far greater reductions in your empires. Perhaps you are simply envious of my abilities!" Baal shot back.  
  
"My empire remains untouched, and undoubtedly will remain so no matter how this war turns out. The Yuuzhan Vong cannot take everything." Bastet smirked.  
  
"They do not touch your empire because it can hardly be considered one!" Zipacna replied.  
  
"Funny for you to comment so, haven't they taken you for nearly all that you have?"  
  
"You would do well to curb your words!" Zipacna roared.  
  
"SILENCE!" Yu bellowed again and slowly the bickering subsided. "The System Lords will not fall from these invaders, but if we continue as we are then our place in the galaxy will be severely weakened. If we do not ally with the Asgard and others now, they shall simply destroy us when this is all over."  
  
"I will not be a party to this." Heru'ur answered and stormed out, his Lotar following quickly behind.  
  
"Nor will I suffer such an indignity!" Baal too left the room. The verbal attacks then started up again full steam. Yu shot them all an angry glare before leaving himself.  
  
*  
  
Everyone was trying to find some way to occupy themselves. Teal'c sat in the corner performing kel'no'reem as Grogan laid on his back, tossing a crumpled up piece of paper that had once been a page from his notebook into the air. Even though the lighting was minimized and most systems were off, the two Tok'ra still flew about the ship attending to tasks that the 2 couldn't name, or even begin to guess. Maybe it was just their way of dealing with the boredom, for who knew that a dead ship would have so much to take care of?  
  
Whatever it was that the Tok'ra were or weren't doing was immediately dropped when the sensors began beeping. Teal'c opened his eyes and watched as the 2 men took their places in the pilots' chairs.  
  
"We have incoming Goa'uld ships. 3 Ha'taks." Herak stated for the others' benefit.  
  
"Well, this could have been better." Jacob commented dryly. The 3 vessels were just entering visual range, barely visible orange points converging upon them.  
  
"I wonder if we got the better end of the bargain?" Grogan pondered, not knowing which of the 2 enemy races it would be worse to be the prisoner of, if they were taken prisoner.  
  
Their view of the Goa'uld ships was blocked as several Asgard ships appeared directly in front of them. Some other vessels dropped from hyperlaunch off to their left.  
  
"Scanners are detecting 4 Asgard ships and 2 Tollan vessels."  
  
"What is going on here?" Jacob asked no one in particular.  
  
"This is Thor, Supreme Commander of the Asgard Fleet to unknown cargo ship. Identify yourselves." Came an audio transmission, the Asgard's high voice a relief to all.  
  
"This is Selmak of the Tok'ra. Our vessel is badly damaged and we require assistance." Selmak responded.  
  
"The Bilizner is prepared to dock your ship and will assist in repairs when the battle is over." Came Thor's reply.  
  
"With the Goa'uld?" Jacob queried.  
  
"With the Yuuzhan Vong." The 4 men exchanged questioning glances, wondering how such an attack force was assembled. Nothing was said as a tractor beam shot out of the nearest Asgard ship and pulled the damaged Tel'tak into the awaiting docking bay.  
  
*  
  
Calisa was sitting in the pilot's seat of the Grishnak, roughly translated as "Stalking One". Head incased in the fleshy confines of the cognition hood, and hands manipulating sensory nodes in the control gloves, her senses were expanded to that of the ship. She saw the hyperspace window they now occupied, and felt the vessel's joy as it rushed through space. They would be dropping out soon to meet with the Supreme Commander's detachment before continuing on to the Warmaster.  
  
The ship reverted to normal space with a slight lurch, and through the eyes of the ship Calisa saw the Fleet group several thousand telnaks away. Zooming in, she could see the 4 large capital ships, ovoid in shape with spindly arms radiating from the hull. On each of these arms were dozens of coralskippers, the small one-man fighters of the Yuuzhan Vong. Soon she'd be able to refuel the ship and continue on her way.  
  
The transport ship's panic alerted Calisa to the new arrivals. She quickly identified the 3 Ha'taks that dropped out of space between her and the fleet. The idea of just 3 ships going up against the 5 capital vessels of the fleet caused her to laugh. She would have to be sure to remain out of the engagement though, cut off as she was she would fall easy prey to the ships and their compliments of Death Gliders that were now oozing from the bays. She ordered the ship to give the engagement a wide birth and circle around.  
  
The ship did the mental equivalent to a shriek when 4 more vessels appeared, directly in her path. Calisa pulled a sharp turn, hoping to go around from the other side instead, when 2 more ships dropped out in her new course. Goa'uld, Asgard, and Tollan all in the same place? This mix did not make any sense to her, but she knew immediately that she had to get out of there. Pulling a sharp left turn, Calisa turned the ship away from the enemy ships, and subsequently, away from her own.  
  
Shrieking, the ship automatically put up dovin basal singularities to protect it from the attacks of several gliders that had taken up pursuit. The Yuuzhan Vong occupying the gunner's chair targeted the nearest glider and sent a volley of plasma into the attacker. The glider was prepared though, and easily dodged out of the way, the rapidly cooling rock flying harmlessly into space. There were too many ships firing at too many different locations for the shielding to stop them all. Some blasts simply caught the edge of the singularities and were curved on altered courses to still slam into the ship's hull, while others went through completely unimpeded. The yorik coral, the substance with which the ship's hull was made, superheated and evaporated under the continuing assault, causing ever growing pits to form.  
  
Attempting to dodge the assault with such a lumbering vessel was impossible, and Calisa simply tried to keep as many shielding bays between her and the enemy ships as she could. Of the 6 Death Gliders giving chase, 2 were taken out with one shot as the damaged glider careened to the side and collided with the ship beside it. Continued shots against the hull rocked the ship and the vessel's cries of pain were ringing through her head. A dovin basal installation was taken out, severely reducing the speed and shielding of the ship. Their speed was already significantly reduced from putting most of the dovin basal energy into shielding the ship, and the loss of power was keenly felt.  
  
"Have we got a destination?" she asked the navigator, wanting to jump out while they still had the chance.  
  
"Yuuzhan Vong do not run from battle." The warrior responded. Death wasn't to be feared, but she had a mission to complete.  
  
"Plot a course out of here now warrior!" she commanded in her harshest tone, wincing as another volley took out a gun emplacement. The warrior, however, refused to comply. 3 dovin basals remained, hardly enough to keep the ship going. There was no other choice, so she entered hyperspace blindly.  
  
The moment the ship entered the window and the attack ended, Calisa ripped off the cognition hood and gloves. She stormed over to the warrior and punched him solidly in the face before he could react. He did not fall from his chair, he was a 7-foot tall warrior, but she was significantly pleased with the sharp angle his neck took before he righted himself.  
  
"I do not tolerate disobedience!" she snarled.  
  
"I will not follow a nedjat." The warrior responded proudly.  
  
"I am your superior! You will follow my commands without question!" Sam lifted the ribbon device to drive her point home when the ship came out of hyperspace with none of its previous grace. She was flung to the rear bulkhead of the cockpit, and the 2 warriors still in their stations' gear were forced to their limits. Shaking off the sharp pain running through her arm, Calisa looked out the transparent view port to see they exited mere miles above a planet, the atmosphere already rubbing against the hull.  
  
Ignoring the navigator, Calisa returned to the pilot's chair and righted the ship to minimize the friction. The weakened hull would be put to its limits, and the remaining dovin basals were still fatigued from their previous exertions on top of being overworked to control such a large craft. She used all the energy of the dovin basals to push against the planet, trying to slow their descent as much as possible. Even so, the ship plunged through the upper atmosphere, slowly but surely picking up speed as they plummeted towards the surface.  
  
Knowing there was no more she could do she reached around and pulled the restrictive strapping, similar to the consistency of animal gut, and pulled it around herself, the gooey cords attaching to each other as the fluid around them solidified and bound the cords together. Hoping against hope that the restraining cords would be enough, she closed her eyes and awaited the crash.  
  
*  
  
"So you're saying that you managed to get the System Lords to ally with you to defeat the Yuuzhan Vong?" Jacob asked Thor, the wreckage of the Yuuzhan Vong vessels floating out in space, visible from the view port.  
  
"That is correct. The vote was far from unanimous, many did not favor such an action." The small Asgard replied. 1 Asgard ship had been severely damaged and was being towed by the remaining ships. The Tollan had kept away from the main engagement, acting as reserves rather than the main force. The Goa'uld contribution had mostly been the Death Gliders, which helped to occupy the Yuuzhan Vong's coralskippers and keep them from the larger ships, of which many had been lost. But the Yuuzhan Vong battle group had been caught unawares and the victory was complete.  
  
"One Yuuzhan Vong vessel cut off from the rest of the group did manage to flee into hyperspace, but not before receiving heavy damage." Thor added after a few moments of silence. None of them knew what that vessel had contained or where it was at that very moment, a distant planet about the size of a nail head winking inconspicuously in the darkness of space.  
  
"The Tok'ra have also joined in this alliance?" Herak continued.  
  
"Yes, they and the people of Earth are serving mainly to gather intelligence about enemy positions, as neither are well equipped to wage this war."  
  
The 4 stood there in contemplative silence as they awaited the repairs on their ship to be completed.  
  
*  
  
General Hammond stood in the Control Room as the chevrons began to lock. It was days past due for Colonel O'Neill and the rest of the rescue group to report in, one way or the other. Instinctually, he knew that it had gone wrong, but exactly how wrong he was unable to tell. All he knew was that the sinking feeling in his chest wouldn't leave him be until he knew the fate of his people.  
  
The wormhole burst forth and the iris slid smoothly over the surface. Hammond looked down at the technician expectantly, awaiting a signal of who was trying to get through.  
  
"Receiving IDC, sir. It's the Tok'ra." He nodded for the iris to be opened, and then went down into the Gate Room to greet their visitors. He was not expecting Jacob, an unknown Tok'ra, Teal'c, and Captain Grogan to exit the wormhole, but found his fears doubling when they were the only ones who did.  
  
"Where's the rest of SG-1 and SG-4?" he asked immediately, drowned out slightly by the Stargate disengaging.  
  
"SG-4 is dead. Colonel O'Neill and Daniel Jackson were captured by the Yuuzhan Vong as we were making our escape. The arrival of an enemy ship prevented us from rendering aid." Teal'c replied, the General noticing the anxiety in the jaffa's features, even if the others couldn't.  
  
"Alright, save the rest for the debriefing. Go get yourselves checked out." The men and the unnamed Tok'ra filed out of the room, leaving just General Hammond and Jacob standing at the base of the ramp.  
  
"Just keeps going from bad to worse, don't it?" Jacob stated, allowing his despair to shine through now that they were all but alone.  
  
"This command is severely lacking in personnel. I can't afford to expend any resources in locating Colonel O'Neill, Doctor Jackson, or Major Carter." He admitted sadly. Both of them knew how tough this situation was for each other, so no more words were spoken. The two just stood there for a few moments, silently sharing their troubles.  
  
*  
  
As Jack began to come to he couldn't remember having gone to sleep. Eyes still closed; he began to realize that he was on his side. Then, he felt the pain. All along his back and left side a throbbing ache consumed him, forcing Jack to moan weakly. Images of the ship shaking violently came to his mind, the memories disappearing not too long after. Whatever had happened, the force had been strong enough to tear him from the gooey prison, which had probably saved his life.  
  
Daniel!  
  
The sudden fear for his friend forced Jack's eyes wide open. A Yuuzhan Vong head stared at him through clouded eyes, neck hanging at an angle no living creature could hope to attain. He muffled a startled cry as he painfully pushed himself up, noting that nothing appeared to be broken. Looking around frantically he found Daniel lying in the far corner.  
  
As fast as his wounded body would allow, Jack crawled over to his friend, quickly feeling for a pulse, and letting out a sigh of relief when he felt it. He quickly did a brief examination to make sure that Daniel didn't have any serious injuries, and once he was satisfied he began slapping the archaeologist softly on the cheek.  
  
"Daniel. Daniel, wake up!" Jack began in almost a whisper, soon almost yelling.  
  
"Be th're in f've." The unconscious man mumbled, swatting weakly at the offending hand.  
  
"No, Danny, now! Get your butt off that floor Doctor!" Jack responded in a commanding tone, satisfied when the man's eyes slowly fluttered open.  
  
"Jack?"  
  
"How ya feeling Danny-boy?" Jack asked with a quirky smile.  
  
"Like I was just trampled by an Unas." Daniel replied, groaning as Jack helped him to sit up against the wall.  
  
"If 'trampled by an Unas' means slammed against the wall, then you're right."  
  
"What happened?"  
  
"I guess we ran into something." Jack answered, shrugging his shoulders. Daniel looked off to the side and saw the dead Yuuzhan Vong, quickly looking away.  
  
"We need to find Sam." Daniel stated resolutely. Jack was having the same idea. Whatever had happened, they had hit hard, and at least 1 hadn't made it. Tentatively rising to his feet, Jack offered his hand and helped Daniel to stand as well.  
  
They were in a sort of corridor, so they could either go left or right. Unfortunately they weren't familiar with the layout of the ship so they had no idea where to look. "Left?" Jack asked.  
  
"Have to start somewhere." Daniel replied, and they leaned heavily against the wall as they made their way out of the left passage. They passed an empty room, unable to identify its purpose. At the end of the hall was what appeared to be a sleeping area, bed-like growths were strewn about the floor, apparently tossed about during the crash. A Yuuzhan Vong lay in a contorted position in the middle of the floor, chest plate cracked completely in two, half of it resting on the ground beside him. Blood pooled under the alien leaving no doubt that it too had not survived.  
  
Not finding their target, they made their way in the other direction. After passing through their prison area again, they saw a warrior sitting against the corridor, blood running from its ear and nose. Upon hearing their approach, it opened its eyes and slowly turned its head to face them. The warrior began to pull itself up, broken right arm scrabbling for purchase against the rough wall while equally damaged legs forced their way beneath its mass and support its weight. Jack and Daniel watched in stunned silence as the alien righted itself, amazed that it was able to perform such a task.  
  
"Um, hi there. We're just trying to get over there. So, um, if you could, maybe, you know, let us by, that would be great." Jack motioned at the alien, wondering if it even understood him. He had yet to see anyone on this ship aside from Sam speak English, so he had to wonder.  
  
"Dore Vong pratte." It uttered as it slowly made its way closer. The blood pooled at the bottom of its chin and dripped down onto the rust brown armor of its chest. It fell down to its knees, arms bracing itself from falling further, and they watched the alien slowly succumb to its head wound. When they were sufficiently convinced it was dead, they cautiously made their way around the body.  
  
The cockpit was a mess. Chunks of the walls had come free and lay randomly about the floor. Umbilicals hanging from the ceiling had been stretched to their limits, the broken ends dripping some sort of white puss. The Yuuzhan Vong that had worn no armor lay broken in the back corner, hardly recognizable for what it was. The other 2 had apparently flown from their chairs with such force that their armor was no protection from the unyielding innards of the ship. A look through the damaged transparent membrane showed dirt and various debris obstructing most of the view, aside from a small patch of sky, revealing it was daytime on whatever planet they were on.  
  
Sam, however, was nowhere to be seen. As panic rose within them, they scattered around the compartment, ignoring the pain shooting through their limbs, scrabbling through the debris that littered the floor. Jack saw that the front of one chair had broken tentacles poking forwards from it, the curves suggesting that it once went around someone. Directly in front of that a large piece of the inner hull lay at an odd angle on the floor. A closer inspection showed a hand poking out from under the debris, a very familiar hand.  
  
"Daniel!" Jack motioned the other man over, and brought his attention to the large chunk of wall. With his help, they were able to slowly lift the mass and toss it aside, the effort leaving them both out of breath and shaky.  
  
Her armor had obviously taken a very serious beating, hairline cracks running partway down the back, coming down the shoulders from the front side. Jack very quickly searched her neck for a pulse, and panicked when he didn't find one. Calming himself down and trying again, he finally located it, slow and weak, but there nonetheless.  
  
"I don't know if we should move her." Jack voiced. They had seen the armor turn bullets at virtually point-blank range, so there was no argument that the stuff was strong. Hopefully the armor had done its job and taken the brunt of the damage, but they couldn't be sure until they got it off of her. Of course, they had no idea of how to even begin to take the thing off.  
  
Sam was lying on her back with her face turned to the side, blood seeping from just above her hairline. Daniel didn't know what else to do, so he tore off a piece of his shirt and wadded it up, trying to stem the blood flow.  
  
Jack came beside Daniel, repeating a similar process as the one he had used on the young man beside him. They needed her help if they were going to help her.  
  
"Carter. Hey, Carter." He whispered near her ear, lightly tapping her cheek. He allowed himself a small smile when her breathing changed and her eyes began to open.  
  
She looked at both of them for a few moments, confusion evident in her eyes. "Sir?" she asked in almost a whisper, her face contorting in pain.  
  
"Easy there Carter. You gotta stay with us, ok?" Jack couldn't help the huge grin that now adorned his face. She appeared to be normal! Maybe a good knock on the head was all that she had needed.  
  
"What..." her question was cut short as something seemed to click in her mind. Suddenly, her face contorted into a scowl, and she tried to push off the floor to launch herself at them. The pain caused her to scream, and in her weakened state Jack and Daniel had little trouble keeping her held down. "Let go of me!"  
  
"Damn it, Carter! Hold still, your only hurting yourself!" Jack shouted out his anger that the moment had only been a fleeting one. Slowly her struggles ceased, and all she could do was moan and whimper against the pain. They waited silently until she sufficiently recovered.  
  
"Release me now!" Sam demanded, closing her eyes against the pain that speaking brought. Even breathing looked painful. Jack guessed she had several broken ribs.  
  
"You're hurt. Let us help you." Daniel tried to reason.  
  
"I don't need your help." She looked up at them as much as her position would allow, the sweat soaking her brow visible in the light emanating from the ship.  
  
"Yes you do! Now can we forget all of this 'I'm bad and you're good' bull? Right now, we want to help you and you want to live long enough to get revenge or something. So, either you begin to cooperate, or we'll walk out that door." Jack stated in a tone that brokered no compromises. Both Sam and Daniel gave him a shocked look, neither expecting such a turn.  
  
"Jack, we can't do that!" Daniel tried to reason. Just because she didn't want their help in her current position was no reason not to try to give it, he thought.  
  
"Yes we can, Daniel. And that's just what we will do. The ball's in your court, Carter."  
  
Her gaze passed from one man to the other, no doubt trying to gauge if Daniel could stop him if Jack wasn't bluffing. At first it had only been meant as a scare tactic to get her cooperation, but Jack doubted his own position. Would he just walk away if she refused? Could he? Finally Sam shut her eyes and turned her head into the floor. "Fine."  
  
The fact that he wouldn't have to figure just how serious he may have been caused Jack to release a muffled sigh. "Alright then. First thing, we have to see how bad you're hurt. How do we get that stuff off?" Jack gestured to the armor she wore.  
  
"There's a bundle of nerves inside the chest plate. You have to reach in the neck from the front." Came the reluctant reply.  
  
"Here, Danny, help me turn her over." As they began to lever her on her front, Jack noticed the hand device, quickly grabbing it and pulling it off. Sam looked up at him with barely veiled anger, to which he responded "It's not that I don't trust you, but I don't."  
  
After several grunts and stifled moans of pain Sam was laying on her back. Both men stopped when they saw the damage to the front of the armor. The chest was pulverized; fractures and cracks radiating out like a broken pane of glass. They paled as they realized that the armor had been the only thing that saved her life.  
  
Jack was reaching down to do the release when he just pulled away. "You're not naked under there or anything?"  
  
Daniel gave him a disapproving glare. "I'll do it." The archaeologist then reached down, his motion slowed no doubt by the chance that she may be, but his hand continued on. A few inches down from the collar he felt a small bump on the inside of the armor.  
  
"You have to press it hard." She clarified.  
  
"Isn't this a bad place for the release. Wouldn't a strong impact open it up then?" Daniel asked, cheeks reddening as he remembered he still had his hand inside the armor, but he didn't remove it.  
  
"No. It needs direct pressure to open." He squeezed the bundle as hard as he could and suddenly the armor's seams made a squelching noise and opened up a few inches. Sam cried out in agony, and the two men shuddered at the idea of being encased in something alive like that.  
  
Getting over any problems with modesty, Jack grabbed the open seam and pulled the chest all the way open; grimacing as the fleshy innards of the armor squished against his fingers. The discomfort was immediately forgotten when he caught sight of the damage. Sam was wearing a short top shirt, so dark blue as to virtually be black. The living garment was torn to near uselessness, white puss oozing from the cut. The damage transferred down onto Sam, the cut starting out mid-chest and running down diagonally almost to mid waist. Blood smeared over the inside of the armor and all across her abdomen, running down and obviously beginning to pool underneath her. Jack looked at the armor and saw the hard piece cutting through the soft inside, apparently a second layer that had broken inwards upon impact.  
  
"God." Daniel exclaimed, wasting no time in pulling off his own shirt and pressing it against the wound. Sam screamed in pain and strained against him, sickening squelching noises being made by the blood within the armor. "Sorry." He added.  
  
While Daniel tried to stem the bleeding, Jack began to pull open the rest of the armor, looking for any other damage they should be aware of. Her right forearm was obviously broken, but all other wounds seemed to be minor bruises and cuts. She needed proper bandages; their shirts weren't going to cut it.  
  
"Where's the first aid on this ship?" Jack asked.  
  
It took a moment for Sam to gather up the ability to respond. "In the reldak." At their blank stares she elaborated. "The sleeping room at the far end of the ship. There is a taste pad on the sidewall. Only Yuuzhan Vong may open it."  
  
Jack raced back until he reached the demolished sleeping area. It took several moments of searching for him to recognize the raised contour of the pad, well camouflaged into the natural surface of the walls. Remembering her words, Jack looked over at the dead Yuuzhan Vong. The last thing he wanted to do was touch the thing, but he had no other choice. With blatant disgust, he dragged the corpse to the wall, and pulled up its hand to run it against the surface. A part of the wall beside it slid back like an eyelid, revealing a compartment.  
  
Inside were several things he had no name for and even less of a clue as to their function. Not knowing what he needed, he filled his arms with various objects, trying hard not to think about the fact that they all were living creatures of some sort, and hastened back to the cockpit. Dropping the objects beside Sam, he looked at her for further instructions.  
  
Her breathing was labored, and Jack thought that she looked even paler than before he left. There was a pause before she answered his questioning stare. "The, the pad that's spongy." Jack saw the dark green pad she was speaking of, and held it up. Sam nodded. "Peel off a layer. Use it, as a bandage."  
  
The exchange left her breathless, and they watched as she painfully sucked in air to her straining lungs. Jack then proceeded to peel off the first layer of the pad, the material felt very similar to moss. After giving Daniel a look, the shirt was lifted off of the wound and Jack pressed on the bandage as more blood threatened to ooze out. He noticed the material stuck to her skin, Sam moaning loudly as it settled around the wound.  
  
*  
  
Daniel just watched as Sam lay there, trying to overcome the pain of the bandage. He hoped that as much as it seemed to be hurting her that it was helping her as well.  
  
"Daniel, why don't you see if we can get out of this little disaster area. Find out where we are." Jack suggested.  
  
Nodding, and giving Sam one final glance, he got up and went down the corridors in search of the exit. It took him a bit of searching to find the hatch. Even from the inside it didn't look good, black scorches seared through the material at the seams. To the side of the door was a raised growth Daniel guessed to be the controls. He realized that he would need the help of one of the dead Yuuzhan Vong if he wanted to go outside. Unlike Jack, Daniel couldn't block out the dead bodies, and he had to struggle to keep the contents of his stomach, of which there couldn't be much, where it belonged.  
  
Finally placing the alien's hand on the pad, the hatch emitted a deep groan. For a second nothing else happened, then the door fell outwards, cluttering heavily against the ground below it. Daniel was greeted by the sight of a lush forest, dirt and loam sprayed about the nearby foliage, a testament to the ferocity of their landing. Scrabbling down the hatch, he took a look at the ship.  
  
A trench ran through the forest behind the ship, disappearing into the trees. Broken limbs and wrecks of trees were strewn about; damaging the trees nearby that had been fortunate enough to evade the ship. The ship's hull itself was a complete wreck. Gouges ran all along the sides and no doubt on the bottom, and deep pits were evident from what he could see near the top. It was clear that this ship was going nowhere anytime soon, probably not ever.  
  
From what he could see, Daniel couldn't say if they were near any civilization or anything that may be able to help them out. All there was too see were trees. A growing shriek in the air caught his attention, drawing Daniel's gaze skyward. It took a moment for him to identify the several black spots growing slowly larger in the deep blue sky, but once he saw them the sound became immediately identifiable; Death Gliders. Knowing it was best not to be seen himself, Daniel ran back into the safety of the ship.  
  
He ran frantically back into the cockpit, panting heavily when he arrived. Jack had taken Sam out of the armor, and she now lay on the floor, apparently resting. She did awaken, however, when Daniel crashed into the room.  
  
"What's going on?" Jack asked, alert to the man's uneasiness.  
  
"Gliders outside." In the silence that ensued, the growing cry of the Death Gliders' engines could be heard through the open hatch, distance and walls making the sound seem further away than they actually were.  
  
"That's not good. No way they could miss a ship this size." Jack stated.  
  
"They'll send someone to investigate, won't they?" Daniel asked. If a group was going to come to check out the ship, then they couldn't stay there.  
  
"Of course they will, we have to go." Jack stated, picking up Sam and ignoring the protesting aches of his body. She was too weak to resist even if she wanted to, so they exited the ship cautiously and made their way into the woods. Having no idea what was in any direction, or if indeed there was anything, they just kept going straight after leaving the ship.  
  
*  
  
Teal'c entered the gym and began his exercise routine, starting with bench presses. He had hoped the physical activity would allow his mind to focus, if only temporarily. But it soon became evident that his attempts were futile. The jaffa could not stop thinking about his teammates, wondering if they were still alive. Somehow, he had failed them. He should have been able to help them when Major Carter had used the hand device. Realistically, he knew that there was no way he could have done anything before the rings descended, but at the moment he wasn't thinking realistically.  
  
The rest of his team were prisoners of the enemy, one of them even worse. Teal'c couldn't help but curse his inability to assist them. He had no special skills that would aid in locating them. All he could do was hope that he came across them while on missions with his new, and hopefully temporary, team, or that the Tok'ra or one of their other allies would find them. Until such a time, Teal'c couldn't help but feel useless. Feel guilty.  
  
*  
  
Jacob sat with the rest of the Tok'ra High Council as the agent before them gave his report.  
  
"The System Lords have reported that one of their picket groups came across a wrecked Yuuzhan Vong midsize transport ship." Gralshen began, immediately getting Jacob's interest.  
  
"What did they find?" he asked.  
  
"They found the bodies of 6 Yuuzhan Vong inside. Nothing else was reported." Came the reply. Jacob didn't know how to feel about the news. He still didn't know whether his daughter and the others were alive, and if so, where they were. He heard Selmak's soothing voice in the back of his mind trying to reassure him, but was hard pressed to take the words to heart right then. He wanted to know. He wanted his daughter back.  
  
After that, he found it impossible to focus on the rest of the meeting, Selmak finally taking control so that he could set his mind to other things. He wondered where Sam and the others were at that moment, and what was happening to them. His biggest question though was whether they could ever get her back to her old self.  
  
God, he hoped so.  
  
*  
  
"How has this happened? Our spies have assured us that the Goa'uld and the other powers of this galaxy would never come together!" The Warmaster raged at the messenger kneeled before him. It was his task to prepare this galaxy for his people, and events had taken a drastic turn. The allied forces were driving back their positions.  
  
"It would not have seemed possible. They are the greatest of enemies." The messenger replied, head still downcast. Tsavong Lah was in a grave mood now; it would not do to cross him.  
  
"And yet, it has happened. We should be grateful, Yun Yammka gives us the chance for glorious battle." The Warmaster stated proudly, speaking of the great Yuuzhan Vong god of war.  
  
"May our warriors serve proudly." The messenger agreed. He may survive this encounter after all.  
  
"We shall strike back. Take 1000 of the slaves and sacrifice them to Yun Yammka. Victory will be assured."  
  
*  
  
The forest became rather cold at night. A soft breeze caused the tops of the trees to sway gently, the rustling leaves creating a sort of symphony with the various animal calls echoing off the sky. Jack sat close to the fire he had managed to build, tending to the small hare-like creature cooking atop it. It was times like these that he praised his training, they would have starved to death by now if he hadn't been able to build traps out of loose vines and saplings. A couffee he had palmed from one of the dead warriors worked well in skinning the animal.  
  
After they had gotten far enough away from the ship to not worry about being found, Jack had decided it best to stay put until Sam healed sufficiently. She was still by no means her old self, but weakness and pain kept Sam from struggling too much against their ministrations. For the most part she accepted the food she was given and slept as the pain would allow. She was stronger than she had a right to be, still far from healed though, and Jack figured it was the living bandage that was responsible for that. As much as it seemed to promote healing, it apparently didn't do anything for the pain she was in, if anything it made it worse.  
  
Her arm was done up in a crude splint, 2 small straight branches and some fine, pliable, vine keeping the bone in position. The deep wound on her chest was his biggest concern though, but she didn't allow them to check on it, simply assuring them that the bandage was doing its job. He had insisted upon changing the bandage several days ago but Sam had adamantly refused and stated that the bandage was self-cleaning and would not need to be replaced.  
  
Turning the crude spit the creature was on, Jack glanced over at Sam, who laid on her back beside the fire, eyes closed in sleep. Her clothes, he hesitated to call them such, were virtually useless to keep her warm. Aside from the small top, she also had a sort of loincloth like the other alien he had seen, barely enough to keep her decent. Diverting his gaze to Daniel who sat on the other side of the fire, Jack saw that the young man was watching Sam as he had been. In that unguarded moment, the pain was evident on the archaeologist's face. Jack could understand, he felt the same way. They didn't know if they could ever get her back.  
  
"I don't understand how if she remembers who she is how Sam can believe what they have told her." Daniel mumbled, barely audible over the rustling of the trees and the crackling of the fire. He also kept close to the fire, no longer having his T-shirt for protection. Jack didn't understand that one either. Until she told them what had been done to her, it would be impossible to say.  
  
"I wish I knew, maybe then we'd know what we needed to do to get her back." Jack's gaze was focussed on the scars that adorned her forehead. 3 vertical slits ran nearly from her eyebrows to her hairline. The firelight danced across her now serene face, causing the wounds to glow eerily. If the sight did not haunt him so much, he could almost imagine that right then, she was the same old Carter they all knew and loved. But the scars refused to be ignored, catching his attention whenever his mind tried to drift.  
  
"Um, Jack, your hare's on fire." The oddity of the statement caused Jack to snap his head in Daniel's direction, a confused look upon his face. He was about to ask if Daniel felt all right when he saw their dinner singeing black as the flames licked against it. Quickly regaining his composure, Jack pulled the stick off of its holders, blowing out the lingering embers on the animal.  
  
"Order up!" Jack called out, mimicking hitting a short order chef at a small diner. Daniel gave him a bemused stare while Sam moaned and opened her eyes slowly. "Hey, Carter, hungry?"  
  
"Don't call me that." Sam replied angrily, but in an even tone. Jack and Daniel had decided that, among other things, that calling her by her real name instead of the one the Yuuzhan Vong had appointed her would help with her recovery. At first she had screamed and carried on each time they did so, but either she was realizing that it wasn't worth the effort, or she was slowly coming around, so her protests had become half-hearted. She still refused to participate in any unnecessary discussions, and when she was awake she usually gave them both cold stares, if she looked at them at all. By no means was she her former self, but neither was she as fanatically against them as she had been.  
  
"Ain't gonna happen. So, are you going to eat or not?" Jack ripped off a hind leg and held it out to Sam, who painfully struggled to sit up. Neither of them bothered to offer their assistance, she had made it clear that was not welcome the moment she was able to rise on her own, no matter how much it hurt or how drained the act left her afterwards. Grumbling, she swiped the leg with her good hand, eating it as she leaned against a nearby tree.  
  
"How long are we going to stay here?" Daniel asked.  
  
"Maybe tomorrow we can head out. But, Daniel, where would you have us go?" Jack replied.  
  
"I don't know, but staying here forever certainly isn't going to help us."  
  
"No, but it would be nice if I didn't have to carry Carter around when we do move."  
  
"I don't need to be carried!" Sam fumed. Her statement would have been stronger had Jack not seen the brief wince that creased her face when she yelled. As much as the cut may be healing, her ribs were still broken. Even if she could walk, Jack knew that carrying her was not an option she was willing to entertain, it would have to be a very relaxed pace or they wouldn't be going anywhere.  
  
"Be that as it may, we still don't have a clue which way we should go. We may be headed in the wrong direction right now for all we know." Jack replied, not really wanting to deal with another of her 'Vong pride' issues as he had dubbed them. Whenever any of their statements had implied weakness she was always quick to contradict them, and prove them wrong. One such attempt had resulted in a face-plant onto the ground and silent tears as the pain made screaming impossible. The last thing they needed right now was for her to damage herself further.  
  
When the meager meal was finished, Jack took first watch. He tried to decide which direction seemed most promising to find civilization, or, while he was wishing, a Stargate. If they weren't planning to head out before, he knew for a fact they were now. 'Yuuzhan Vong' or not, Sam was extremely stubborn. And, however accidentally, he had given her something to prove. He really should have thought more before he spoke.  
  
*  
  
A planet hurtled happily through space. The people were content and innocent, going about their lives with practiced ease. They had nothing to fear; they were well protected. Goa'uld had attempted to take over their planet and had been repulsed, adding to the air of invincibility that the people thought they had. The only thing that could harm them was the ravage of time, and such had been severely eased.  
  
The observatory barely noted the rock that suddenly appeared on their long- range sensors. It was not uncommon for an asteroid or comet to streak relatively close to the planet. A second and third, and subsequent 20 more contacts quickly caught their attention. The 20 contacts quickly became more like 200 as the capital ships released their coralskippers. A churning mass of destruction sped its way to the planet. For the first time in hundreds of years, the people of Tollana were afraid.  
  
Assuming their Ion Cannons to be all the protection their planet needed, the Tollans had nothing to speak of for a fleet. A few medium sized ships stationed themselves between the attacking fleet and the planet, doomed even before the enemy ships came into range. As advanced as Tollan technology may be, 5 ships were nothing to the cloud that raced forward.  
  
A wall of coralskippers reached the vanguard first. The Tollan vessels had a longer range than the smaller ships, and began firing upon them as they came in range. Their blasts were sucked in by the dovin basal shielding of the ships, forcing 2 shots to be used to destroy one ship, one to overwhelm the shielding and the second to vanquish the ship. 12 of the coralskippers were destroyed before they even got into range.  
  
The instant the ships were close enough, they all opened fire, the space between them and the Tollan vessels seemingly lighting on fire. 1 of the ship's shields was immediately overwhelmed, the superheated rock eating through the hull, gutting the ship. 2 others were severely damaged. All of them had sustained some of the attack. Continued blasts from the coralskippers quickly overwhelmed the remaining ships. There was now nothing between the ships and the planet itself.  
  
It took about 30 minutes for the fleet to reach the planet. As soon as the capital ships set up orbit and the smaller vessels shot down to begin their assaults, the Ion Cannon defense screen opened up. Blasts of energy sizzled through the sky, taking out enemy ship after ship. Even through the heavy losses, the ample amount of enemy ships continued on to cannon installations, destroying them one by one. The Yuuzhan Vong fleet group would be severely decimated, but the planet stood no chance of repelling them.  
  
Flaming projectiles streaked through the sky; tears for the second incarnation of Tollana.  
  
*  
  
General Hammond slumped in the large chair in his office. They had lost one of their allies in the battle against the Yuuzhan Vong, the Tollan had been all but wiped out. He had been shocked when the Stargate opened and their IDC had been received. Even more so when the large stream of refugees had began pouring through. The Yuuzhan Vong had sent a large fleet group against them, and the Tollans had stated that more than 50% of the group had to have been destroyed in the attack. They had won, but the victory had cost them.  
  
After having the more critically wounded tended to, Hammond had sent the survivors to the Alpha Site. Of a planet of hundreds of thousands, a little shy of 200 now lived. Before they were sent out the halls had been crowded, the base not designed to hold such an extensive number of people at one time. Though the people were gone, an air of defeat lingered around the base.  
  
*  
  
Teal'c found himself assigned to SG-3, turning it into a 5-man team. They had just left on their first mission together to P7X 443, a planet that was very close to the front lines. No one was sure who controlled the planet, which was one of the reasons why they were going. The MALP had shown nothing at the 'gate, so the mission had been given the go ahead.  
  
An open field greeted the team on the other side. It was a veritable desert of grass, stretching off into the horizon until a gently rolling hill cut off further view. Behind the Stargate a forest could just barely be made out in the distance. It was lucky that there was no one waiting for them at the 'gate, there was no protection of any sort if they had been forced into a shoot out.  
  
Colonel Griff ordered the team forward towards the distant hill. It was mid afternoon on the planet, so the sun was beginning to set when they finally came to the rise. As they got closer, the sound of activity from the other side of the hill caused them to approach with caution. Crawling up the hill as they reached the crest, the sight they were greeted with was truly startling.  
  
The valley below was littered with shelters and various peoples. Fields off in the distance were identified as villip paddies, and they even saw some coralskippers in mid stages of creation. The Yuuzhan Vong were quite literally growing an army on the planet. At first the lax security on such an obviously vital staging area was perplexing, until a closer look was taken at the slaves below. Some were tending to the fields and other duties, while large groups of hundreds were cordoned off in large pens.  
  
Teal'c could tell from that distance, even without binoculars, that the slaves in the pens were not normal. The glint of white growths on their bodies, covering them like plates of armor, could be seen in the fading light. There were also various fights breaking out, the humans in the pens acting more like mindless animals than anything else. It was quite apparent to all there that those humans would be put up in the front lines, probably as shock troops to soften up enemy locations for the main assault. The lack of protection made more sense then, they had all the army they needed in those pens. No doubt there were vessels in orbit to protect against any threats from space.  
  
"Colonel Griff, we should notify General Hammond immediately of the situation on this planet." Teal'c suggested, not that he doubted that they would return to the Stargate as soon as possible.  
  
"Damn straight. Let's go people, I don't want them to figure out we're here." With that the team retreated back down the slope and made their way back to the Stargate in the beginnings of dusk.  
  
*  
  
"You mean to say that they are using humans as soldiers?" Hammond asked after hearing their story.  
  
"Looks that way, General. The growths looked just like armor, plus all the other stuff they were growing there." Colonel Griff responded.  
  
"Unfortunately we don't know whether they are working for the Yuuzhan Vong against their will or not."  
  
"What are you talking about? How could anyone agree to that?" Griff questioned incredulously.  
  
"Who knows. But the fact remains it would be easier to know if we could save them if we knew their motives. If, for some sick reason, they are working willingly for the Yuuzhan Vong, any teams we send in there to save them could be in danger from the very people they are trying to save." The General elaborated.  
  
"Perhaps they are using some sort of control similar to that of Major Carter." Teal'c added.  
  
"It's a possibility. Taking out this installation would be a heavy blow to their supply lines, but a covert strike will be impossible if we try to save the slaves. That begs the question to be asked, just how many potentially innocent lives is this attack worth?" All were silent as they pondered the answer. If there was a chance that they could save those people did they have the right not to try?  
  
*  
  
They ended up returning to the planet reluctantly with SG-5. The large group was carrying P90's, and also laden down with plenty of C-4 and timers. It had been decided that the position was too important to not deal with by people higher up on the chain than Hammond was. They could understand the brass' position, even if they didn't feel quite the same way. Who knew, they might even be doing these people a favor this way.  
  
With the blanket of darkness enveloping the planet, SG-3 and 5 made their way to the crest of the hill. Peering into the valley they could see many lit fires, especially around the perimeter. On top of that the meager Yuuzhan Vong guard had some of the mindless human warriors in tow. 3 or 4 of them were assigned to each warrior, a sort of leash bound around their necks. These groups patrolled the grounds as one would with a guard dog, the humans pulling against their bonds. Why they didn't just attack their overseers was a mystery.  
  
It was decided that SG-3 would infiltrate the area while SG-5 radioed enemy positions to them from the hill. They all inserted their ear pieces to prevent the radios from being heard by the enemy, and slowly made their way down the hill, trying to stay in the shadows of some trees and other vegetation that grew occasionally.  
  
Confirming their suspicion, a wing of coralskippers was heard zooming by overhead. Fortunately it was dark enough that being spotted from the air wasn't much of a concern. The fires were bright, but distant enough that small shafts of darkness still existed in between. As long as they stayed out of the way of the patrols then getting in should be simple enough.  
  
Slowly, they made their way through the outer screen, the eyes of SG-5 a tremendous advantage of the seemingly random groups. At one point they had to duck into the tall grass as a Yuuzhan Vong with its group walked by not 10 feet away. Fortunately the grass easily hid them from view and the warrior was completely unaware of their presence.  
  
Getting further in was a problem. The patrols passed by with greater frequency and natural obstacles to hide behind or under became few and far between. They couldn't risk killing anyone, no matter how silent, because there was no good place to leave the bodies. So mostly they waited for very small windows of opportunity to move deeper into the outpost.  
  
When they finally reached the first shell building, the patrols all but disappeared. Apparently they weren't too worried about anyone getting in this far, and if they didn't have SG-5 looking out for them then they wouldn't have. The shells mostly appeared to be sleeping areas for the normal slaves, but one large one, about the size of 3 normal shells, caught their attention.  
  
The building was large enough to cram 50 people into if the Yuuzhan Vong so wanted. Using a periscope, Colonel Griff peered around the corner of the opening, taking a peek at what was inside. In there he found several shapers, identifiable by the headdresses that they wore. Several pallet- like protrusions held down humans in the early stages of change. The beginnings of the white growths they saw on the others were jutting out of cheekbones and arms, just beginning to cover the victims. Those in the later stages of conversion were straining against straps that held them down, crying out like distressed animals.  
  
Using hand signals, Griff motioned to one of the lieutenants, who nodded and applied one of the bricks of explosive near the ground just inside the door. They didn't know how rugged these buildings might be, so it was decided to place any C-4, if they could, just inside the building where the blast would destroy anything inside. It was obvious that this is where the slave armies were being created, so it was a prime target.  
  
They worked their way back into the now untended fields, setting up their charges where the most damage could be done. The pens were much more difficult. The occupants within snarled and reached out for them; nothing new as the Yuuzhan Vong mulling about didn't even spare them a glance. What was hard was actually setting up the explosives. Though these people acted no more than mindless animals now, the group was hard pressed to condemn them to death. Even Teal'c was uncertain if they were proceeding correctly, but did not voice his hesitation to the others. They needed to do this. If not then the Yuuzhan Vong could just pick up the slaves and move them somewhere else, or simply rebuild here after they left.  
  
"Sir." Lieutenant Bailey began.  
  
"Not now. We have to do this." The Colonel cut him off, taking a brick of C- 4 and setting it against the pen just out of the occupants reach. He had to quickly pull his hand away when one of the swiping arms almost caught him. Before conscience could persuade him otherwise, he had all the charges set on the various pens.  
  
A scream behind them caused them all to turn. Captain Hanes was pulled tight against the side of the pen, various arms ripping at skin and clothing. The piercing cry attracted the attention of nearby Yuuzhan Vong. As they worked on extricating their friend, the guttural cries of Yuuzhan Vong warriors charging to their position crowded the air.  
  
Their cover now blown, Teal'c hefted his staff weapon and fired into the throng of slaves. The growths turned shots as well as the Yuuzhan Vong's armor, but the force of the blast pushed several of them back, and the light and noise scared the rest off. Hanes now free, they ran out into the lightest defended point they could identify, hoping to leave the position and sweep back around towards the hill from the outside.  
  
The slaves that were on leashes were released, running madly at the team. Any thoughts about saving them were completely ignored as they fired round after round into the advancing throng. Aiming between the plates or finding vulnerable areas on their heads was all but impossible as they fired while running. Teal'c's staff weapon worked better than any others, for any hit would at least push back the target, or perhaps knock them off balance.  
  
Colonel Griff ceased firing for a moment as he fumbled for the remote detonator to the C-4. He had waited until they were a safe distance from all of the explosions. Pulling the device out of his vest, he pushed his hand down on the red button. Thunderous explosions sounded behind, drowning out the frantic screaming of anyone too near the blasts. Almost instantly they were hit by a wave of intense heat, shoved slightly off balance by the rush of air. Sparing a glance behind him, Griff saw that nearly all of their pursuers had fallen to the ground, giving them that much more time to make their escape.  
  
The explosions left the remains of the camp in complete disarray. Those in the pens that were not killed ran off in every direction, attacking anything in their way, be it other slaves or Yuuzhan Vong. The sounds of still raging fires and screams of death assaulted their senses, driving SG- 3 to run even faster towards the perimeter.  
  
The guards that had remained around the outskirts were charging their way towards the intruders, forcing them to fight if they wanted to get out. Those that were chasing behind them had managed to regain their footing by then, making stopping and fighting a very bad idea.  
  
One of the Yuuzhan Vong charging at them from the front suddenly fell and didn't get back up. They looked on in confusion until the call from SG-5 came through the radio.  
  
"Stay out of the line of fire and we'll clear the way." Colonel Jameson, their new commander since Major Dillon's death, stated matter-of-factly. SG- 5 had brought along a sniper rifle, but was unable to use it before they had been found out because warriors suddenly dropping dead would have been just a little alarming.  
  
The Yuuzhan Vong who were charging along with their dead comrade didn't even spare him a glance, either uninterested in his death or simply assuming he was clumsy and fell. When a second one dropped, the rest finally skidded to a halt, unable to figure out what was happening.  
  
Teal'c saw the slave soldier behind them, only a few feet away now, and twisted his staff weapon behind his back and fired, the blast connecting with the slave's face. It screamed and fell to the ground, at that range the heat from the blast searing past the armor and destroying the sensitive skin and bone beneath. Of the 3 warriors that now remained in front of them, another fell, and as they got closer the team opened fire on the remaining 2.  
  
The warriors were quickly brought out of the shock of the unexplained deaths of their friends and began to hurl back thud bugs in response. Hanes took one in the shin, and as he went down Teal'c rushed past the man and pulled him up by the neck of his jacket. As he continued to run they settled into an easier position, Hanes using him as a crutch. The hail of bullets forced the warriors to reel back, as the sniper rifle took another out. The remaining warrior let out a vicious cry and charged at the group, not bothering to let of any more projectiles. Several P90 rounds tore through its face, dropping it to the ground in a bloody heap.  
  
The enemy at the front taken care of, they ran on as SG-5 kept their pursuers at a safe distance.  
  
*  
  
"This arrangement is unacceptable! Our casualties are the heaviest, we lose large numbers of Death Gliders in each engagement!" Bastet pointed out. A round of agreeing murmurs sounded around the table.  
  
"Imagine how our casualties would be if we were not in this alliance!" Volak returned.  
  
"We entered into this treaty under the assumption that we would not be shields for the Asgard ships!"  
  
"Many of us opposed this alliance, you bring this upon yourselves!" Baal concluded, smiling wickedly.  
  
"Perhaps it is not to late to change your fate." All of the System Lords gathered were shocked into silence, turning their gaze to the slave who spoke.  
  
"A Lotar should know his place." Yu intoned, outraged that the human before them should speak as an equal.  
  
"I am here to offer you an alternative." The man brought a hand up and pressed where the side of his nose met his face. A sickly slurping noise filled the room as his skin seemed to melt off of him. Blood dripped out of the pores of the Yuuzhan Vong beneath, beading on his face and chest. When the masquer finished extracting itself, the pool of fleshy goo pulled itself into a corner of the room. The alien before them wore nothing more than a simple loincloth.  
  
The System Lords were all on their feet, the unexpectedness of the situation keeping them silent. The Yuuzhan Vong stared at them all for a few moments before he continued. "The Warmaster has sent me to give you the chance for survival."  
  
"We do not need your offer!" Baal cried out, many of the other System Lords shouting approvingly.  
  
"You would be wise to accept his offer, the Warmaster will not give you another chance." The creature replied.  
  
"What, then, is your Warmaster's offer?" Yu questioned, figuring they might as well hear what the alien had to say before they killed it.  
  
"He offers to let you keep what you still have. The warriors of the Yuuzhan Vong will go no further into Goa'uld territory."  
  
"And, what is the price for this?" Heru'ur added.  
  
"The Warmaster is very generous. All you must do is pull out of the war."  
  
"The Yuuzhan Vong will never again invade Goa'uld lands?" Yu sounded very interested, and the other System Lords had various malicious smiles on their faces.  
  
*  
  
Calisa panted as she sat on the large rock that jutted out of the ground. The sharp pains the action brought in her chest were easy enough to ignore; several days of walking had accustomed her to the sensation. Jack told a joke, what exactly she couldn't say as she wasn't listening, but she allowed herself to smile. They wanted the old Sam back, so that is exactly what she gave them. 'Because that's who you are' a quiet voice in her mind responded, causing her to growl inwardly. That was NOT who she was. She was just pretending.  
  
"Well, the forest seems to finally be thinning. What that means for us I don't know, but it could be a good thing." Daniel stated. The sun was setting behind him, the red in the sky framing his head like a halo. The sight brought a hidden smile to her lips. It was a very fitting picture to remember him by.  
  
"I wouldn't mind finding a nice little city. Would be even better if they had a Stargate lying around." Jack exclaimed, dropping the load of loose wood he had collected for the fire.  
  
Calisa opened her eyes and looked around after feigning sleep. In the faint light of the dying fire she could see the other two were out. Now was her chance to prove to herself exactly who she was once and for all. After tonight the doubts would cease to plague her. Her heart raced as she sat up, and for a moment she feared that that sound alone was loud enough to waken them. But they both slumbered on, oblivious to her plans.  
  
She had decided that Daniel would be first. His protective manner was infuriating. Very cautiously she moved the short distance to where Daniel laid. Kneeling before him, Calisa sucked in a deep, anticipatory, breath. Then her hands clenched around his throat.  
  
Immediately his eyes bugged open, but the pressure prevented him from making any sound. Calisa had to bite her lower lip hard to stop herself from crying out as her broken arm protested the action. She positioned herself on top of him to keep his thrashing to a minimum.  
  
She looked down into his wide eyes as she strangled him. His expression was one of such bewilderment; she didn't know whether she wanted to laugh or cry. As his struggles became more sluggish and his lips took on a blue hue in the firelight, Calisa found herself accosted by various images. She saw Daniel die when he was on Nem's planet, and the sorrow she felt then hit her like a physical blow. Tears began to fall down her face as she remembered when they left him behind to die on Apophis' ship. All the times they had thought Daniel dead or had to watch him suffer flashed through her mind.  
  
A strangled sob escaped her lips as she pushed off of him, nearly stumbling into the fire behind them. Damn her, she couldn't do it! The pain from her arm was overshadowed by the tumult within her mind. Conflicting ideas fought for supremacy, and she was but a hapless spectator. The urge to get away overwhelmed her, and she found herself fleeing into the woods.  
  
*  
  
Jack sat bolt upright the moment he heard the sob. He watched as Sam darted into the forest. Coughing and sputtering drew his attention to Daniel, who rolled to his side on the ground and clutched at his throat.  
  
"Daniel!" Jack cried as he rushed over to his friend.  
  
"I'm. Ok. Get Sam." Daniel wheezed between gasps, and motioned in the direction she had fled to. Jack gave him one more appraising glance before he got up and took off on her trail.  
  
Sam was easy to follow. Even in the near darkness her path was easily visible by all the broken plants. If that wasn't enough he could hear her crashing through the woods. He didn't know whether to be angry with her or what. They had thought that she was coming around, but apparently that wasn't the case. She had seemed to be almost back to her old self. Perhaps they were just deluding themselves.  
  
Jack would have trampled Sam had she not let up a horrible cry. She was kneeling with her head to the ground and her arms wrapped protectively about her abdomen. Skidding to a halt only a couple feet from her, Jack could only watch for a few moments. Heavy sobs wracked her frame, no doubt agitating her ribs profusely. The sound was the most disturbing thing he had ever heard. She wailed into the ground, her cries begging for some sort of resolution.  
  
Her sobs had leveled off at a more tolerable level, but the sound was still gut wrenching. "Sam." Any anger he may have thought about harboring was gone; chased away by the obvious agony she was in. She made no move to acknowledge his presence or his words, and Jack didn't know whether it was because she chose to ignore him or simply didn't register that he was there. Slowly, he placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.  
  
Sam's reaction was instantaneous and violent. She batted his hand off and used both hands to push him back hard, letting out a pained cry in the process. "Don't touch me!" she cried as she did this. Now on her feet, she staggered back while keeping an eye on Jack. He could clearly see the tears running down her face as they reflected what light there was.  
  
Jack had thought she was going to run again, but instead she suddenly grabbed at the bandage and tore it off. Her cry was almost as impressive as her sobs had been, tiny beads of blood appearing where the bandage had once been. He could see that her wound was almost completely healed, more along the lines of a deep scrape now than the gaping tear it had once been. Scar tissue around it was shockingly white even against her pale skin.  
  
She didn't stop there. Sam started to pull at her top, some irrational impulse driving her. They didn't have anything else for her to wear, so Jack rushed up and restrained her as best he could, trying to cause as little pain to her as possible. "Vrat al uili! Vrat al uili!" she repeated as she struggled against his gasp. It went on for what seemed an eternity; her mantra interspersed with "Let go of me!" Jack just held on until she slumped in his grasp, shaking with a mixture of cold and lingering sobs. There was some heavy conflict raging within her, he knew that much.  
  
"You can beat this, Sam. I know you can." Jack all but whispered.  
  
*  
  
Yu couldn't, nor did he even try to, mask the smile that played his lips. He looked out of the viewport to the assembled motherships. There were 6 gathered already, and more arriving each moment. When they had accepted the deal with the Warmaster, the Yuuzhan Vong forces all but pulled out of the front with Goa'uld space, instead being sent to bolster the Asgard campaign. With the utmost secrecy the System Lords had ordered a large amount of their forces to group. They were going to put an end to this affair once and for all.  
  
Probes from both the Goa'uld and Tok'ra had revealed the position of the Warmaster's personal ship and escorts long ago, but they had been unable to delve so deeply into Yuuzhan Vong controlled space. Now it was all but a straight shot, hardly any enemy presence before they and their prize. The Warmaster would receive a nasty surprise.  
  
Once all 12 of the ships were together, they made their jump into the heart of enemy space. The Warmaster had an impressive group to protect him, 8 capital ships on top of his own plus untold numbers of coralskippers and other smaller vessels. But the Goa'uld had the advantage of numbers and surprise.  
  
Exiting the hyperspace window, the fleet of Ha'taks found no enemy ships waiting for them at the repositioning point of their ship. A cluster of planets prevented them from making a straight shot, so they had to jump to an empty region of space and make another window from there. As no ships awaited them, there would be no one to warn the enemy of their arrival. Yu's smile grew even bigger.  
  
They exited finally almost on top of the enemy ships. Death Gliders poured out of the motherships immediately and all weapons emplacements in the right directions opened up. Several shots had hit the capital ships before they could bring up their shielding. Many coralskippers were destroyed as they lay dormant on the living ship's arms. The Yuuzhan Vong, true to their warrior heritage, were quick to recover. The next wave of shots was sucked in by singularities and coralskippers began to detach themselves as the enemy pilots scrambled. Formations of Death Gliders and coralskippers danced about each other, weapons fire going everywhere. The gliders used their greater numbers to simply overwhelm the enemy ships as they detached, not giving the Yuuzhan Vong sufficient time to amass large amounts of small fighters.  
  
One of the Yuuzhan Vong capital ships near the front of the engagement was taking most of the fire from the Goa'uld vessels. The shielding couldn't keep up with the large volume of shots, most getting through to cleave deeply into the hull. The ship simply broke in half, its contents spewing into the cold vacuum of space as it cracked like an egg. The weapons slowly stopped firing and the ship simply floated there.  
  
The Yuuzhan Vong's plasma projectiles were equally destructive. They burned through the shields of one of the Ha'taks, breaching several areas of the ship before finally cooling into an inert mass of rock. But, the Ha'taks and greater numbers and were better able to take out the Yuuzhan Vong flotilla.  
  
Casualties were heavy, but the Yuuzhan Vong fleet group was finally crushed. They could have fled and saved themselves, but did not. The Warmaster's ship had been the last to go, the bombardment from the 5 remaining Goa'uld motherships superheating the outer hull and causing it to explode in a grand show of light.  
  
The System Lords returned home to celebrate.  
  
*  
  
"Sir, we just received a communication from the Asgard. They say that the Goa'uld have killed the Yuuzhan Vong Warmaster. Apparently, sir, many of the Yuuzhan Vong fleet groups are pulling back for some sort of power struggle. It seems they can't decide on a successor." Davis reported.  
  
"What kind of power struggle?" General Hammond asked.  
  
"There's an internal struggle, sir. Several different groups have engaged one another."  
  
"Then wiping up what remains should be a cakewalk." Hammond replied as a smile broadened across his face. The Sargent grinned stupidly. This was very good news; the Yuuzhan Vong threat was all but eliminated. Sadly, they had lost many good people in doing so.  
  
That thought cut his celebration short. George was almost certain that the rest of SG-1 was dead by now. No word of any sort about them had been heard by anyone, and Lord knows the Tok'ra were listening just as hard as anyone was.  
  
*  
  
Daniel couldn't help but run his hand over the dark bruises around his neck. They were painful to the touch, yet he found himself fingering them lightly. He looked over at Sam. She had almost killed him; would have if something in her hadn't of snapped at the right time. When Jack came back with her last night she didn't say a word, even when asked a direct question. Even during their walk that day she simply followed like a shadow.  
  
Her wound was still not bandaged; she had freaked when Jack had tried to get her to use what he had brought of the living material. Leaving it open like that, he feared for infection, but they would just have to deal with that when the time came. At the moment, he just hoped that the real Sam was winning the battle inside.  
  
Jack was in the lead, probably unable to look at her or him right now. He knew that he'd find looking at his very impressive bruising rather disturbing. On top of that the underlying strain between them was stifling. Sam becoming a walking catatonic hadn't helped matters any.  
  
When they stopped for a break, Daniel noticed Sam tracing the scars on her forehead. Her eyes were downcast, but he saw her brow creased in pain or contemplation, which he couldn't tell. Daniel wondered how she had gotten the symbol. Did some priest-type guy do it, or had they made her do it to herself? Even more than that, he wondered if she had truly wanted them when it happened, or if she was still fighting within herself. He was sure that she had never really given up the struggle, but there must have been a time when her silent protests were strong.  
  
He would have asked her the story behind them if the moment wasn't such a fragile one. Daniel was afraid that the wrong words would spiral her back into the darkness she had been living for several months, and those would most definitely be the wrong words. So, he just contented himself to watch her and see if he could figure out what direction she was headed in.  
  
*  
  
Jacob strode down the ramp purposefully. Teal'c and General Hammond waited at the bottom for him.  
  
"Jacob, to what do we owe this visit?" Hammond asked as they shook hands, Teal'c bowing his head in greeting.  
  
"I think I may have figured out where Colonel O'Neill and the others may be." He informed them.  
  
"Where do you believe them to be, Jacob Carter?" Teal'c quickly inquired.  
  
"If my guess is correct then they are on the planet where the Goa'uld found the downed transport ship." Before they could continue the discussion General Hammond motioned that they go to his office and the continued to talk there.  
  
"I thought the Goa'uld found all aboard dead." Hammond stated.  
  
"Well, if they are there and are alive do you think they would stay in that ship? From what we have received from the Goa'uld it fits the description of the ship that attacked us. I am going to go and investigate with our Tel'tak and I figured you'd be interested."  
  
"General Hammond, I wish to accompany Jacob Carter to the planet." Teal'c's tone suggested that even if he didn't allow it that the jaffa would go anyway.  
  
"This command is sorely lacking personnel at the moment. I can't afford to send anyone with you. Teal'c, I know what SG-1 means to you and I also hope that they're out there somewhere, alive and well. Go and bring them back." Hammond conceded.  
  
"I intend to do so."  
  
*  
  
"We aren't getting anywhere!" Daniel exclaimed.  
  
"I told you there may be nothing this way! It's not my fault we haven't stumbled across a 7-11 yet!" Jack shot back.  
  
"I know. I'm sorry, it's just really frustrating." The archaeologist calmed.  
  
"You can say that again." Jack mumbled. They had been walking for days and there was no sign of an end to the forest, much less signs of any habitation. Living off whatever they could manage to catch that day was wearing on both of their nerves. Sam was still too drawn up to care about anything.  
  
It was dark and they all sat around the fire. That day had been especially bad. Jack had only managed to find some wild berries of some sort, and hunger had caused them to eat and just hope they weren't poisonous.  
  
Sam lay curled up by her side, her face reflecting the disturbed nature of her sleep. The fact that their little spat hadn't woken her was a bit surprising.  
  
"What do you think about Carter?" Jack asked.  
  
"I don't know. I think that whatever they used to control her is starting to break down. Of course, I could be completely wrong." Jack had to agree; she was struggling with something. It just seemed a matter of which would come out on top.  
  
"Tal a corae!" Sam cried out suddenly in her sleep, starting to toss violently. Both Jack and Daniel reached out for her, if only to keep her from rolling into the fire.  
  
"Carter!" Jack cried with concern as he gripped her shoulder. It took several moments of shaking before her eyes finally snapped open and she stopped struggling. They were all still and silent for a time, not knowing how to continue from there. Without warning, Sam's eyes suddenly welled up and she began crying in earnest.  
  
"Daniel, I'm so sorry!" she apologized over and over, tears spilling from her cheeks. Finally Daniel pulled her into a hug, holding her as tightly as he dared with her various injuries.  
  
"Shhh, it's ok, Sam. It's not your fault." He soothed as he held her. Her words quickly melted into intelligible sobs. Daniel continued to hold her and Jack watched on, unable to think of anything to do himself. He was beaming inside; this was a very good sign. But he still had no idea what she had said while still asleep. The fact that it was in Yuuzhan Vong wasn't a good sign to him.  
  
When she had finally calmed down, still in Daniel's arms, Jack decided to ask. "Carter, what does tell a cory..."  
  
"Tal a corae." Daniel corrected.  
  
"Right, what does that mean?"  
  
She didn't extricate her head from his chest when she answered. "I'm not like you."  
  
"Like who?" she stiffened at the question, and Jack wondered if he had stepped too far too fast.  
  
"The Yuuzhan Vong." She finally replied, causing his heart to soar. Then after a moment she added. "Colonel?"  
  
"Yeah, Carter?"  
  
"Is it over?" How did he answer that one? He couldn't guarantee her anything.  
  
"If we have anything to say about it, it is." Jack replied eventually, and Daniel murmured his agreement.  
  
*  
  
Jacob and Teal'c ascended the ramp into the Yuuzhan Vong ship. It was so badly damaged that the Goa'uld had simply left it and not bothered with any studies, the turnout of the war meant that they could get their hands on ships that were simply disabled in battle. The smell of rotting flesh, both dead bodies and the ship itself, was overpowering. They both held a scented cloth to their noses as they scouted out the ship.  
  
They found all the dead Yuuzhan Vong in various stages of decay. They also found an empty shell off armor in the cockpit. The inside was coated in dried blood and the front chest plate was damaged, breaking inward.  
  
"Well, they didn't say anything about this." Jacob muttered through the cloth.  
  
"It would seem that the Goa'uld did not reveal everything about the ship." Teal'c affirmed. Why they wouldn't investigate when there was a mysterious set of armor lying around was baffling. Apparently the System Lord that had owned the ship was either lazy or stupid, or the jaffa had been less than truthful.  
  
"It's the same color as the armor that Sam was wearing." Teal'c nodded at the assessment, he had also noticed that.  
  
"If so, then Major Carter appears to have been injured."  
  
"Yeah, it doesn't look good." There was a lot of blood there, and who knew what they had to treat her with. Assuming, of course, that it was them. Right now it was looking pretty certain though. "We need to find them."  
  
Teal'c was able to find their trail easily outside of the ship. Deciding that they probably went in a straight line, they went in the Tel'tak. They passed several hours in agitated silence as Teal'c flew and Jacob kept a careful eye on the sensors.  
  
"I've got something!" Jacob cried out excitedly. "Picking up 3 distinct energy signatures."  
  
"The forest is too dense to land or use the transport rings. We must locate a suitable area." Teal'c stated. There was a small clearing nearby, though on foot it would take some time to backtrack. They landed the small ship there and made their way in the direction the signatures had been in.  
  
*  
  
A Tel'tak passing overhead caused all 3 of them to look up curiously. The ship hovered above their position momentarily and then continued on an altered course.  
  
"What do you think that was about?" Jack asked.  
  
"If I didn't know any better I'd say that whoever that was knows we're here." Daniel supplied. They all looked at the point where the ship had been and along its new vector, the trees making visibility minimal.  
  
"Do we want to be found?" Sam finally asked.  
  
"If we knew who's on that ship then I'd tell you. We'd better play it safe though. Find a good place to hide out." Jack responded, beginning to set up some false tracks and hide their real ones.  
  
They waited for a couple of hours for the occupants of the ship to arrive. Sitting in the thick underbrush waiting for someone to arrive was becoming decidedly dull.  
  
"Maybe we were wrong?" Daniel offered in a hushed tone.  
  
"Colonel O'Neill! Daniel Jackson! We are aware of your presence! I am here with Jacob Carter!" Teal'c's voice rang out through the thick forest.  
  
"Teal'c?" Jack asked unnecessarily, stepping out from his protection.  
  
"It is I." Teal'c responded as he too came out. Jacob was right behind him, Daniel and Sam coming out as well.  
  
"It's about time!" Jack exclaimed.  
  
Ignoring him, Jacob took a step forward. "Sam?"  
  
She didn't look at him for a few moments, instead studying the forest floor. When Sam did raise her head, tears were beginning to streak her face. "Dad." She launched herself at him and they embraced fiercely, a muffled moan from Sam cutting the moment short.  
  
"God I missed you." Jacob said softly before kissing her on the forehead.  
  
"It is indeed good to see you returned, Major Carter." Teal'c intoned as a small smile crept into his features.  
  
"Thanks Teal'c."  
  
They set off for the tiny cargo ship. Together.  
  
End.  
  
(In the middle of working on an epilogue, still need a beta for it, email if interested.) 


	4. Epilogue: Scar Tissue

Title: Scar Tissue  
  
Author: Confushi Sushi  
  
Email: confushi_sushi@hotmail.com  
  
Category: Action/Adventure, Angst  
  
Spoilers: none  
  
Rating: PG-13  
  
Pairing(s): none  
  
Season: Some time between beginning of 3 and 5  
  
Summary: Sam must figure out where to go from here.  
  
Disclaimers: Not mine. No $. Will return them when I'm done if you say please.  
  
A/N: Fin, finito. This is it people, I have finally finished. The last part to the Deaths Spawn series.  
  
*  
  
Sam hated the ceiling. She had traced every seam in it countless times, but that wasn't the reason for the hatred. The lines were too straight, the corners too pointed. It was...  
  
'Unnatural' a dark whisper supplied. Sam closed her eyes, but got no relief. Whenever her eyes closed she would see the faces of SG-7 as her warriors cut them open, their knives tearing into their chests as the screamed in agony. Her warriors. She had ordered it. She had killed them.  
  
It was a vicious cycle. Their screams would echo in her mind so loudly that she would be forced to open her eyes again. Then the voice would taunt her. It would supply 'infidel' or 'abomination' when her gaze would catch anything in the room. But she couldn't keep her eyes open forever, nor would the men's cries allow her to keep them shut. Sam knew no peace.  
  
"Hey, Carter." she opened her eyes to see the Colonel approaching her bed. She wondered if he had caught anything in her unguarded moment. Talking about this was not an option, to anyone. So Sam had decided that she would show them that she didn't need to talk. Whenever anyone was around she was fine.  
  
Or that's what she hoped they thought.  
  
"Sir. What a surprise." Sam said in as amused a tone as she could manage without her heart being in it. It was hard to come up with times that he or one of the others wasn't around. Sam found it comforting actually, a distraction from her inner turmoil. But she had to be normal, and normal Sam wouldn't find such hovering pleasant.  
  
She saw the dubious frown on his face for a moment, and guessed she had either tried too hard or not enough. Whatever he may have thought though, he didn't say anything about it. "Just stopped by to see how you were doing." He said as he rolled on the balls of his feet, his hands thrust into his pockets.  
  
Sam closed her eyes in exasperation, the action cut short as she saw Keelak's body writhing under the power of the hand device. The vision shocked her so much she almost forgot what was going on, but managed to recover herself. "Probably the same as the last time you asked - this morning."  
  
"So, when are you getting sprung?" Jack quickly changed the subject. Seeing as it was barely after noon she guessed it was a good thing.  
  
"Janet says that I can get out of here tomorrow." Smile. She didn't have to worry about looking sincere. Sam couldn't wait to get out of there.  
  
"Need a lift?" Sam was perfectly able to drive herself, or at least she thought so. Her arm was still in an air cast, but her car was an automatic and the trip wasn't complicated. Janet would probably make her get a ride home anyway, either with an airman or one of the guys, but that was little concern to her. Just as long as she would be alone when she got there, Sam didn't care how she got home.  
  
"It's ok, sir. I'll manage." If he took her home, though, she doubted she'd be able to get him to leave. Everyone had been hinting at her needing to talk to someone about everything, and that's why Sam was going through such lengths to show them that she didn't need to. Jack would probably try to use that time to get her to spill. Sam didn't want that kind of hassle.  
  
"You sure?"  
  
"Yes, sir. Thank you."  
  
*  
  
"Janet, I'm fine!" Sam exclaimed in frustration. The petite doctor, however, was not phased. Sam needed to talk about what had happened to her, Janet could see that. She saw the way the woman would start and jerk awake in the night. When she thought she was alone, or that no one was looking, the pain was visible on her face.  
  
"Are you?" Dr. Fraiser asked calmly, knowing that losing her control now wouldn't help.  
  
"Yes! Now can I please go home?" She could hear the pleading tone in her friend's words.  
  
"Sam, I'm worried about you, and so are the others. I don't know if you should be alone right now." Unfortunately, she didn't have anything to keep her with.  
  
"I've forgotten what alone feels like!" Sam shot back, referring to the continual visits she received from the other members of SG-1. Janet would order them to give Sam some space, but the moment her back was turned she'd see either one or all of them congregated by her bed.  
  
"I just wish you'd talk to someone about - this." She informed the impatient woman before her. General Hammond was waiting for Sam to recover before debriefing her, and so far any attempts at getting information out of her had been deflected.  
  
"There's nothing to talk about." Sam replied defensively.  
  
Janet sighed in defeat; this argument would go on forever if she let it. "If you need anything at all, you call me. Got it? And you're going to let an airman drive you home or no deal." The consolation that she gave herself was that SG-1 would doubtlessly be checking up on their friend on an almost continual basis.  
  
"Deal. Thank you Janet!" Sam jumped off of the bed she had been sitting upon and hugged her friend. Janet returned the hug lightly, Sam's ribs were still a little tender, and her arm was in an air cast. Then she left the room so fast that Janet saw nothing but a blond streak rounding the corner.  
  
*  
  
Daniel sat in his office, trying to analyze the statue from P5X 477 that SG- 8 had brought back a few days ago. He couldn't concentrate on it, despite his best efforts. No matter how hard he focussed on the object, his mind would wander back to Sam. Everyone was worried about her, but she wouldn't accept their help. Something this huge just couldn't be swept under the rug like that. Unfortunately, that was exactly what Sam was trying to do.  
  
They had all tried everything they could think of. He, Jack, Janet, and even Teal'c had tried to get her to acknowledge that there was a problem. She would vociferously deny it, but it was visible that she was not taking this as well as she pretended. Daniel remembered one especially unguarded moment when he had seen her eyes snap open, the unnamed horror of what she had seen still evident. She didn't know he had seen, and it had been all Daniel could do not to rush into the infirmary and comfort her.  
  
Shaking his head to try and dispel the thoughts that ran through his head, Daniel tried once again to work on the artifact. When it became apparent that any efforts on doing so would be futile, he decided to go pay Sam a visit.  
  
Maybe, if he were lucky, she would have come to her senses by then.  
  
Daniel entered the infirmary, eyes scanning for Sam. A cold dread filled him for a moment as he first saw the empty bed, stripped and waiting for its next occupant.  
  
"Doctor Jackson, I thought I told you to beat it." Janet said jokingly as she walked up behind him. Daniel turned to face the doctor.  
  
"I, well, you did." Daniel stammered. "Where's Sam?"  
  
"Home. Resting hopefully."  
  
"Hopefully? You let her go alone?" Daniel couldn't miss the annoyed stare that Janet was now giving him. He winced in response. Listening to his own words he could see how he and the others were hovering. Sure Sam was going through a particularly hard time right now, but everyone needed their space. Perhaps, if they gave her a little room, Sam would be able to get some perspective on things. "Sorry."  
  
"Don't worry Daniel. I had an airman drive her home and told her to call me if there's a problem. Just give her a day or so to breathe, ok?"  
  
"Uh, yeah, sure. I'll go tell the others."  
  
Janet gave an exaggerated sigh of relief. Dealing with an irate Colonel and temperamental jaffa hadn't been very high on her list of enjoyable experiences. "Please do."  
  
The young archaeologist stumbled out the way he had come.  
  
*  
  
Maybe having the Colonel or one of the other guys drive her would have been a good idea. She looked straight out of the windshield, but her attention was focussed on the airman in the driver's seat. Without actually looking at him, she couldn't be certain, but she was sure that he was glancing at her out of the corner of his eye every now and then. Like he was expecting something. Like he didn't know what to expect. Maybe he was afraid of her, or what she could do.  
  
Or, maybe, she was imagining it all.  
  
Real or not, Sam was feeling more and more uncomfortable as the drive wore on. What did he expect from her? Was the airman worried she would attack him? The scars on her forehead were beginning to itch furiously, but she resolutely kept her hands down. Sam didn't want to draw attention to the marks, especially not in such a tense moment. Whenever she thought about the scars she didn't immediately think about how they were made.  
  
She thought of Teal'c.  
  
Like him, she was now marked, nothing more than property. And both had broken from the systems that worked to control them. Only one important fact separated them. Teal'c had never been exactly what his master had wanted. He killed. He did many terrible things. But there was always a part of him that had tried to minimize the damage he inflicted, saving lives whenever possible. Sam couldn't say the same about herself.  
  
'Hora sok beloi ti sel ragama tor.' The only truths of life are pain and death. Sam had taken the Yuuzhan Vong's ideals to heart. One may argue that she saved Fells, SG-7's commander. Sam knew that that had been for all the wrong reasons. She didn't allow herself to even think otherwise. She knew that having him return and tell the tale would hurt those at the SGC more than just finding their dead bodies. That way, they knew exactly who was responsible. Suffering had been what she had worked for then. Any thoughts she had had about saving anyone were beaten back to the best of her abilities.  
  
"Ma'am?" Sam quickly turned to the airmen, noting that the scenery out the window was now stationary. His tone made it apparent that he had been trying to get her attention for some time. "We're here."  
  
"Thank you, airman." He was looking at her scars, Sam could tell. He would try to look inconspicuous, only glancing at them quickly and then drawing his eyes elsewhere. She wanted to scream at him, but she had to play the normal, not-affected-by-recent-events, Carter.  
  
She settled by getting out of the car as fast as possible without looking like she was fleeing. She forced herself not to look back as she heard the car speed off. Sam just knew that he was glancing at her through the rearview mirror, probably certain that he'd see her start up some satanic dance on her lawn or something equally as absurd. What made her even angrier is the fact that she could see herself doing such things. She was capable of anything, hadn't she already proven that?  
  
The neighborhood was empty; it was 12:56 so most everyone was at work. Even so, Sam swore she could feel eyes from every house burning into her. She looked at the surrounding buildings, but was unable to find a trace of anyone. That only caused the feeling to intensify. Sam couldn't stand it, so she fled up the steps to her door, fumbling with her key. It seemed to take forever to get the stupid thing into the lock, but finally she got it to slide in, entering her house as quickly as possible.  
  
As soon as she cleared the threshold she slammed the door and locked it again. Sighing, Sam closed her eyes and rested her back against the door. Now that she was free she didn't know what to do with herself. She had been so focussed on simply getting away that she hadn't thought of what would be accomplished.  
  
The wall clock ticked unnaturally loudly in the silence of the house. Each movement of the hand reverberated in her skull. The pressure built to the point that she swore that if it got any louder her head would simply crack open.  
  
'Murderer.' The clock shouted at her. 'Traitor.' Each tick was another taunt.  
  
"Shut up!" Sam screamed at the unnatural sound as she covered her ears. The clock laughed at her futile attempts, so she ripped it off of the wall and smashed it on the floor. Hands shaking, Sam slid down the side of the counter to the floor.  
  
*  
  
"She did what?" Jack questioned angrily. Yup, Daniel could really see why Sam would want to get away for a while.  
  
"You heard me, Jack." He responded, and then added, "Maybe all she does need is a little space."  
  
"Believe me, space is the last thing she needs right now."  
  
"What makes you say that?" Daniel asked confusedly, how did he know what she needed? Or, why did he think he knew.  
  
"Just, I know." Jack stated firmly.  
  
"I'd really like to know how you know." Then, it came to him, along with a disapproving glare from Jack. Jack had been in an Iraqi prison for four months. Though not the same experiences completely, he knew better than anyone what that kind of situation would do to someone. "Iraq?"  
  
"Yeah." Jack nodded glumly.  
  
"Well, she doesn't seem to be enjoying the crowding."  
  
"Do you think she'd show it if she was?" Jack asked seriously. Daniel had to agree; Sam wouldn't let them know she wanted, or even needed, something like that. Heaven forbid she have a moment of "weakness".  
  
"You have a point." And Daniel had just been starting to feel better about this whole situation.  
  
"Just remember, Daniel, the harder she tries to act like normal, the worse it is."  
  
"So, what do you suggest?"  
  
"We go pay a visit."  
  
*  
  
Sam huddled in the corner of her living room, curled up tightly with her head resting on her knees. She was going insane, she thought. That was the only explanation she could come up with. She was afraid to move, or think, or do anything of any sort, lest the voice start up again. All that she wanted was to forget, but the harder she tried to do so, the stronger the images came.  
  
She had been in the corner for hours, since she was able to collect herself and leave the main room. Being alone wasn't supposed to be so difficult. Without distractions she was at the mercy of her own thoughts, and they showed her none. If a disgusted feeling didn't wash over her every time she thought of even touching the phone, she might have called someone.  
  
Might have.  
  
Even if that weren't the case, Sam wouldn't want anyone to see her in her current state. Curled up in the fetal position arguing with yourself wasn't a very becoming look. She just wanted it all to stop. For everything to go back to normal. To the way it was before the whole Yuuzhan Vong stint.  
  
A knock on the door froze her stiff. She decided it would be best just to stay where she was and hope that whoever was there would leave.  
  
But they just knocked louder.  
  
"Carter!" she heard her CO's cry pierce the door. He sounded very concerned. Since she knew he would not leave, Sam reluctantly got up. Emotions began to rage in her, she knew exactly why he was here and what he would try to do. The problem was that she didn't know how to stop him.  
  
She jerked the door open to see Jack about to knock again.  
  
"Colonel," she said with surprise, and then saw he wasn't alone, "Daniel."  
  
"Hey, Sam." Daniel replied, waving slightly.  
  
"Just thought we'd stop by, see how things were going." Jack explained.  
  
"Things are fine."  
  
"Can we come in?" Daniel asked.  
  
"Actually, I was hoping..."  
  
"We brought pizza, and a few flicks. They're girly movies even." Jack interrupted with an innocent smile, and she finally noticed the mentioned items in Daniel's arms.  
  
She didn't know what to do; so she snapped.  
  
"Why is it so hard for you people to just leave me alone? I don't want to talk about it!" Sam shouted as tears began to run down her face. She tried to shut the door, but Jack shoved his foot in the jam. When that failed, she instinctively tried to flee the room, but Jack was able to grab her wrist before she could get away.  
  
"Carter!"  
  
"Vrat al uili!" Everyone, even Sam, was shocked into silence. They looked at each other with mutual bewildered expressions.  
  
"Sam?" Daniel questioned hesitantly. There was a long silence.  
  
"It's all still there." Sam replied in little more than a whisper. She slid to the floor, leaning against the counter behind her. Jack realized she had no intentions of running, where could she go? So he let go, and the 2 sat on either side of her.  
  
"Tell us. Let us help you." Jack pleaded.  
  
Sam lowered her head and closed her eyes. She really didn't want to talk. Giving voice to her problems would acknowledge them; make them real. But she knew she didn't have the energy to try and fight off both of their probes.  
  
"I know I'm Major Samantha Carter, but the memories they gave me are still there. It feels like there are 2 of me, pulling in opposite directions." Sam was heedless of the tears that fell from her cheeks onto her leg, which she clutched to her chest.  
  
"God, Sam, you shouldn't have tried to bottle all of this up." Daniel stated without judgement.  
  
"I just want to forget." Fully crying now, Sam leaned against Daniel's side. Wasting no time, he placed a comforting arm around her shoulders. Jack remained where he was, looking a little uncomfortable as he tried to think of something appropriate to do. The end result was he just sat there fidgeting, no words coming to mind as Sam sobbed against the young man's side.  
  
*  
  
Jack gently placed Sam's sleeping form onto her bed, pulling the quilt up over her. She had cried herself to sleep, something Jack guessed she hadn't really had since leaving that planet they had crashed on and returning to Earth. Though, since she had been badly injured, it wasn't a very fair assessment.  
  
She may have been asleep, but her face held none of the peace that should have accompanied that state. A slight frown pulled at her lips, and her forehead wrinkled to match, creasing the scars there.  
  
Jack took a few moments to watch her sleep before he returned to the living room where Daniel waited, sitting restlessly on the couch. "Still asleep?" Daniel inquired.  
  
"Yeah. I think she's pretty well wiped out." Daniel just nodded in agreement. Jack plopped down beside the man, letting his head hang off the back of the couch as he scrubbed his face with both hands.  
  
"How are you doing?"  
  
"What?" Jack asked, wondering what he had to do with anything.  
  
"How are you doing?" Daniel repeated, with more emphasis.  
  
"She's the one with the problems right now, Danny, not me."  
  
"That may be, but it doesn't mean that you're ok with everything."  
  
"Of course I'm not ok with everything! Sam's had her head screwed around with and she's been put through God knows what exactly. I mean just take one look at what they did to themselves, willingly I might add, and then just guess at some of the things she could have been put through!" Jack was breathless by the end of his rant, but had to silently give it up to Daniel. He wondered if the young man was thinking about applying for Doc McKenzie's position.  
  
"Believe me, I have. I want her to get through this just as badly as you do."  
  
"I know." Jack assured, then added off-handedly, "Wonder why Teal'c didn't come along."  
  
"Probably thought that 4 was a crowd." Daniel joked before stating seriously, "I'm sure he had his reasons."  
  
They sat on the couch in silence; the light beginning to fade as the sun began to set. Neither turned on the TV or even tried to start a conversation. Both were loath to have any distractions lest they miss something important. And, amazingly, the whole time Jack never uttered a word.  
  
They were so high-strung that when an inarticulate yell sounded from Sam's room, both of them jumped noticeably, and then rushed to the nearby room in record time. Sam muttered unintelligible words, some sounding decidedly alien, as she tossed against the covers.  
  
"'Not one of you!" she cried out.  
  
Daniel grabbed her shoulder and began shaking lightly. "Sam!"  
  
Her eyes snapped open immediately, but she struggled against him. "Carter, it's ok, it's us!" Jack informed her.  
  
Slowly, as his words sank in and her confusion began to dissipate, she stilled. "I tried to fight it. I really did." Sam blurted out, eyes tightly closed.  
  
"No one has any doubts about that." Daniel assured her. "Tell us." He insisted.  
  
"The shapers on the Domain Keth worldship, they would just put the memories they wanted me to have into my head. I knew they were false, that they weren't mine. But they would just do it again, and it would stick more. It became harder to doubt them. I couldn't tell what was true or not. I, somehow it seemed right to me."  
  
She sat up in the bed, and the two sat down on the edges, facing her. "Sounds like an impossible situation. You did your best." Jack told her.  
  
"I'm sure everyone that died takes a lot of consolation from that." Sam muttered, unimpressed.  
  
"You weren't responsible for any of that." Daniel informed her.  
  
"I sent them to the SGC!" she countered, referring to the attack that had killed so many.  
  
"That wasn't you."  
  
*  
  
"Wasn't it?" Sam shot back. "I still knew everything. I knew who all of you were, what we've done together."  
  
"You said it yourself, they twisted things. You weren't yourself." Jack tried to make her see reason.  
  
"They're all dead because of me! Me! SG-7, the personnel on base, SG-4! It's all my fault!" 'And you enjoyed every one' the voice in her head supplied. She remembered the sick glee that shot through her at the time, knowing she had killed all of those people. She had enjoyed them, and that's what made it even worse.  
  
Silence ensued for several terse moments. Then Jack broke the silence. "Fells said that you asked him for help before sending him back through the 'gate. Did you mean it?"  
  
"Yes. No. I don't know." That moment was a very confusing one. At the time she had tried to convince herself that she had only done it to add to their emotional suffering. If they thought that she wanted to be saved, then they'd try all the harder. But a small part of her, the little bit that still tried to resist, however futilely it may have been, secretly hoped that another team would come through the 'gate, kill the warriors around her, and take her home.  
  
"Look, no one's perfect. Don't think that you have to be. You won't allow yourself to see past your own guilt. If our places were switched, would you hold all of this against me?" She could tell he was pleased she didn't just outright deny it.  
  
"You wouldn't have let it happen."  
  
"Damn it, Carter! Are you even listening to anything you're saying? You said they refined their technique, they could have done that to anyone. It just happened to be you." Jack felt like he was banging his head against a stone wall.  
  
"I. I did kill someone. Directly." Sam informed them quietly. She wanted them to understand that she didn't deserve their sympathy.  
  
"Who?" Daniel asked. He didn't remember the body they had found off hand.  
  
"My second." Sam saw the smiles forming on both of their faces in response to her victim being the enemy; they didn't understand. "I didn't do it for any of the right reasons."  
  
They just sat there, waiting for her to continue. She didn't know that they had found his body. "He kept questioning my orders. Keelak just wanted to rush in a frontal attack when you came after me on that planet. I knew that wouldn't work, but he disagreed in front of the others. To keep them in line, I killed him. I used the hand device and scrambled his brains." There was a pause. "I liked it. A lot."  
  
The image looped in her head. She saw Keelak's eyes looking at her with startled fear. He hadn't thought her capable of such an action, that much was obvious. She remembered his eyes and how they slowly glazed over as death approached. In that moment she had been powerful, his pain bringing her pleasure. For one moment, she had been God. And it scared her.  
  
'You can have that power again.' The voice told her.  
  
"No!" Sam cried, gripping her head. She didn't even acknowledge that they had been saying anything to her, the voice in her own head deafening. 'All you have to do is kill them. They won't even see it coming.'  
  
"Shut up! Leave me alone! I'm not like that!"  
  
"Sam!" Daniel's voice finally broke through her haze. Slowly, she began to realize her current position. She was lying curled up on her side, their hands on her shoulders and arms as she stopped fighting against them. Tears pooled on the sheets below her.  
  
"Carter, we're going to take you back to the SGC." Jack informed her. She would have protested, fought vehemently against them, but she just felt so worn out. As much as she didn't want anyone else to see her as she was now, she couldn't bring herself to invest energy into fighting. It was a lost cause and she knew it.  
  
*  
  
Janet sat in her office, having just gotten off of the phone with Colonel O'Neill. He called to say that they were bringing Sam back. Apparently she was worse than Janet had figured. She wasn't naïve, she knew that the woman wasn't fine, but neither did she think that Sam was having such a hard time dealing with things. Then again, Sam didn't tell her any more about anything than she had to, and even that had been like pulling teeth.  
  
Damn Sam and her stubbornness. Damn her for not seeing it. She had let Sam go off on her own, left her to the mercy of her own inner demons. Janet had sent her out to sea, cutting the lifeline and just hoping things would turn out ok. How would Sam ever forgive her for such a thing?  
  
They would be here soon, and Janet wanted to take a few tests when she arrived. Brain activity on the MRI had been a little off when she had last checked, but that could easily just be stress, and she knew Sam was under a lot of stress from this experience. Maybe she had missed something before, and maybe she'd understand things better now.  
  
Even after Jack's call, Janet wasn't prepared for the sight before her when Sam entered the infirmary, one of Daniel's arms wrapped around her shoulders. Her expression was blank. She looked like little more than a shell, simply going through the motions. How could she let this happen to her friend?  
  
She didn't know how to start, so she stammered. "Um, ok Sam. I just want to run a few tests, see if there have been any significant changes. I guess we'll get started off with an MRI ok?"  
  
"No!" Sam immediately replied, taking them all by surprise.  
  
"Why not?" Daniel asked her.  
  
"I can't."  
  
"Carter, what is it?" Jack probed further.  
  
Sam hesitated, her eyes drifting to the floor. "It's. It's a machine." She whispered.  
  
Janet saw Daniel's eyes widen noticeably, and she eyed him with a glare that asked for answers, since he apparently knew something she didn't.  
  
"Uh, the, they, they hated technology. That commander guy nearly killed me for just talking about it." Daniel responded to the look.  
  
"Sam, why didn't you say anything before?" Janet wondered. The prior tests she had seemed a little off, but she never voiced any discomfort. And then there had been the two car trips and the rides in the elevators.  
  
"I didn't want anyone to know. And, it wasn't as bad before."  
  
"If you hide this kind of thing, we can't do anything to help you with it." Jack informed. Janet would have laughed, if the situation weren't what it was. Jack was just as stubborn as anyone, listening to him give that kind of advice seemed a bit hypocritical of him. It was true though.  
  
"That's ok, we'll figure something out later. Will taking a blood sample be ok?" Janet asked. It was a few moments before Sam nodded slowly. Well, at least she had something. Retrieving the necessary items, Janet withdrew some blood, hoping to get something that may help with Sam's current state. She doubted that answers would be found physically, though.  
  
*  
  
Sam laid in the bed in one of the VIP rooms. Daniel sat in a chair beside the bed. She had asked him to stay, which was surprising to them both. Being alone, she had decided, was far worse than asking him to remain. Sam was on her side, staring blankly at him while he read a mission file.  
  
Jack had gone off in search of Teal'c. It was odd that the man hadn't made some sort of presence when Sam had arrived. No one had any idea what the jaffa was up to, but he hoped to find out.  
  
"Sam." Daniel started, setting the report on the nightstand.  
  
"What?" she asked cautiously.  
  
"Um, well, if this makes you uncomfortable or, you know, you don't -"  
  
"Daniel, just get on with it." Sam sighed. From his stammered intro she had a pretty good idea on the general idea of the question he had. She didn't want to have to wait forever to get to the point.  
  
"Ok. Uh, what exactly are the scars about?" His face was red and he lowered his gaze. "Never mind, I'm sorry, just forget I even said anything."  
  
Sam brought a hand up to trace the marks on her forehead. The contact caused her to shudder. Though the question was uncomfortable, she saw no reason not to answer. Keeping things a secret obviously wasn't working. And so far no one had looked down on her for any of her admissions.  
  
"It's the symbol of Domain Cha." She answered slowly. Daniel's head snapped up, a surprised look on his face. He obviously hadn't been expecting her to answer.  
  
"So, they're kind of like the tattoo's jaffa have." He replied cautiously.  
  
"Kind of." Sam agreed. It was about lineage rather than what god you served; though, in a way that was also a factor. Domain Cha was a warrior domain, Yun Yammka the foremost god in their life, aside from the greatest, Yun Yuuzhan. "Usually they are received on the 6th birthday, showing your allegiance to the house. It wasn't uncommon in the earlier days of the Yuuzhan Vong for one domain to attack another and steal the unmarked children, to add to their own cadres."  
  
"Received?" Daniel was getting more comfortable with this discussion, as was she. Somehow, having someone else know these things with her seemed to lessen the tension.  
  
This wasn't a question she really wanted to answer though. But she closed her eyes and replied quickly. "The marks must be made by the one who receives them."  
  
"My god, they had children do that to themselves." Daniel gasped. Mutilation was bad enough, but having to do it to one's self was ghastly.  
  
"Daniel, they don't view suffering the way we do. They enjoy it!" Sam informed him. She hadn't. It had been done before the very last implantation of the memories. They had thought she had been turned already, but it had not been complete.  
  
"What is it, Sam?" Daniel asked, having seen something in the look that had crossed her face.  
  
"I was still myself, a little bit." She wanted him to interrupt, add something, but he didn't. "The rejection was slower. When the ceremony began I was fighting. I knew what was going to happen, and I tried to stop it. But it was stronger. It hurt so much, but I couldn't stop myself. I didn't want it, but I did too."  
  
Sam cried, the hot tears felt like the slick blood that had run down her face. Daniel quickly came over and wrapped her in a hug. "You're going to get through this."  
  
It took a few minutes for Sam to calm down enough to reply. "I've been crying a lot lately." She joked; head still buried in Daniel's chest.  
  
"There's nothing wrong with that. Just as long as you don't try to bottle it up I don't care what you do." He replied with a smile, which she returned.  
  
Maybe there was something to this after all. She almost felt, human again.  
  
*  
  
"Teal'c!" Jack called as he knocked on the closed door before him.  
  
"I am currently occupied, O'Neill." Teal'c's deep voice penetrated through the barrier.  
  
"With what?"  
  
"I will be finished momentarily. Until then, please be silent."  
  
Now Jack was really curious. What could be so important that Teal'c wouldn't go to visit Sam? He had never seen the man act in such a way. So, he waited outside of the door.  
  
After a few minutes, Jack was getting tired, but knew better than to interrupt whatever Teal'c was trying to do. He leaned against the wall beside Teal'c's door. As curiosity continued to plague him, Jack stuck his ear to the door, hoping to hear something that could give him a clue as to what was going on. If he hadn't have heard Teal'c respond earlier, he would have been sure the room was empty, as he heard nothing.  
  
Jack wasn't prepared for the door opening, banging the side of his face against it as the jaffa made his way out. "God, Teal'c, give a man some warning next time."  
  
Teal'c simply looked at him with, well, with one of his disbelieving looks. "What is it that you require, O'Neill?"  
  
"What ya doing in there?"  
  
"It is none of your concern. How is Major Carter?" Jack sighed, Teal'c could be very tight lipped when he wanted to be. Not that he tended to say much of anything in the first place.  
  
'You win this round' Jack thought inwardly. "She's actually started to realize that she needs to deal with this stuff."  
  
"That is good to hear. I must go and speak with her now." Teal'c bowed and then went off on his way. Jack just stood there, trying to figure out exactly where he lost control of their little discussion. As he pondered it he realized he never really had control in the first place.  
  
*  
  
Teal'c strode purposefully down the hall. He had been spending the day preparing for this. Everything had to be precise, and he made very certain of it. He didn't intend to fail.  
  
Standing before the quarters assigned to her, Teal'c knocked.  
  
"Who is it?" he heard Daniel's voice ask from inside.  
  
"It is I, Daniel Jackson." Teal'c responded.  
  
"Come on in." Teal'c entered to see Daniel sitting in a chair next to the bed, his hand clamped in Sam's. She began to stir from sleep, her eyes opening as she took in his presence.  
  
"Teal'c!"  
  
"It is good to see you, Major Carter." Teal'c bowed slightly to her. She did appear much better than the last time he had seen her. Far from healed, but on her way.  
  
"Where were you?" He could see the hurt in her eyes, even if she tried to hide it.  
  
"I apologize, but there were matters that I had to attend to."  
  
"What have you been up to, Teal'c?" Daniel asked.  
  
"It is for Major Carter to know alone. If she wishes to discuss it afterwards, that is her decision."  
  
"What are you talking about?" Sam asked, her curiosity obviously piqued.  
  
"If you will come with me, I will show you." Teal'c came towards the bed and held out his hand. Sam took a moment, waging some mental battle before she took the proffered limb. Daniel looked lost, wondering just as much as anyone else what was going on. Teal'c led Sam out of the room, leaving Daniel to his questions.  
  
"What is this all about?" Sam asked as they made their way down the hall. There were stares from some airmen, but Teal'c's serious face kept the soldiers moving quickly, their gaze fleeting.  
  
"Be patient and I shall show you." He pulled her into his room and closed the door. It took a minute for her eyes to adjust to the dim light, the candles the only source within the room.  
  
Red, black, and deep purple candles littered the room, not unlike the setup he had to perform kel'no'reem.  
  
*  
  
Sam's eyes fell on the Yuuzhan Vong breastplate lying on the floor, next to a couffee. A flak vest and a normal knife lay beside those, but did not catch her attention. "Teal'c?" she questioned hesitantly.  
  
"Who are you?" Teal'c's question caused her to take a step back, her mind returning to the countless times the Yuuzhan Vong had asked her a similar question.  
  
"Teal'c!" she pleaded, feeling the tears threaten. What was he trying to do?  
  
"This is the question you endeavor to answer. You are no longer certain of who you are."  
  
"I know who I am." She assured, but didn't feel it herself. She knew who she wanted to be, but was uncertain as to whether she could ever be that again.  
  
"You do not. You simply decided that the path you had been led upon was not correct. Humans have names, with these names they associate certain qualities. It is time for you to choose your name."  
  
"Teal'c, I know my own name!" Sam was afraid, of what exactly she couldn't be certain. Maybe it was fear that he may be right.  
  
"If that were so, then you would not have these doubts." Teal'c responded.  
  
Sam's eyes locked on the objects on the floor. The breastplate glinted a rusty red in the flickering light, winking at her. It promised her more of the sick bliss she had received while wearing it. Staring at the flak vest she remembered all of the missions she had been on, all of the people they had tried to save, and many times had. The two pieces of armor, opposite in every way conceivable, seemed to be staring each other down, the weapons between them at the ready to strike down the other at a moments notice.  
  
She didn't know what else to say. "What do I do?"  
  
"Pick up the Yuuzhan Vong armor."  
  
"What?" Had he completely lost it?  
  
"Objects do not define who we are. You must not let them have power over you." Looking up, she saw his face was as serious as ever.  
  
"Teal'c, I can't." She was afraid that the moment she touched it, she would lose herself. She didn't want the voice to win.  
  
"The Goa'uld created the staff weapon. Does using one ally me with the Goa'uld?"  
  
"Of course not."  
  
"Then what is the difference?" He asked seriously.  
  
"They bring nothing but death and pain." Sam responded, referring to the Yuuzhan Vong items before her.  
  
"As do Tau'ri weapons."  
  
"But we try to save lives!"  
  
"Then, the difference is not in the weapon, but in the wielder. Objects do not define who we are, but we can define what an object is. With any weapon, you decide how it will be used."  
  
Sam had no response. He was right.  
  
Teal'c picked up the armor and held it before her. "You must prove to yourself that it has no power over you."  
  
She was still reluctant to take it. His words made sense, but what if he was wrong? Going back to that was not an option. Teal'c was adamant though, his belief caused her hand to reach out. Almost imperceptibly, she touched the armor's smooth surface. Nothing happened.  
  
'But you wanted it to' the voice mocked. Sam shook her head as she shot back, banging against the door behind her. "No, I don't!"  
  
"Major Carter?" Teal'c questioned, concern beginning to show on his hard features.  
  
"I, she's still in there." Apparently Teal'c had been anticipating such an event as her admission didn't seem to phase him.  
  
"I see." He replied, putting the armor back on the floor. "Then you must conquer her before we may continue."  
  
Sam could only nod. She still hadn't adjusted to this whole situation. He directed her to sit down on the floor, crossing her legs like he did to meditate. Then Teal'c went to the corner of the room and returned with what appeared to be a stick of incense in a simple holder.  
  
"What is that?"  
  
"It will help calm you." Teal'c seemed to like being mysterious, so she simply nodded. "Close your eyes."  
  
She did as she was told. Soon a deep scent, reminiscent of burning cedar, filled the room. She felt herself growing heavy, her mind starting to disconnect from her body.  
  
"You are doing well, Major Carter. Seek out your tormentor. Defeat it." His deep melodic voice only served to send her deeper, until she was completely unaware of the world without her. All there was was her mind. All there was was darkness.  
  
Sam opened her eyes. Before her was a wall. Concrete meshed with the living material of Yuuzhan Vong buildings. As her eyes searched further to either side, the two materials separated until they were distinct from each other. Sam stood at the nexus of the two worlds.  
  
"You need to stop her." Sam spun around at the unexpected voice. She saw - herself. The her before her wore full battle dress, complete with flak vest and P90 hanging from her shoulder. Sam immediately noticed there were no scars upon her forehead.  
  
"What?" Sam asked, very confused.  
  
"Just take a look around you. She wants to destroy everything you are." Her SGC image waved the gun at the Yuuzhan Vong portion of the room.  
  
"Do not listen to her and her infidel lies." Sam turned back around to see yet another image of herself. Unsurprisingly, it was her Yuuzhan Vong form in the pale green armor and the hand device she had had. "It is she who wants to consume you."  
  
"But, you're not real." Sam stated weakly to her Yuuzhan Vong self.  
  
"Were we not one? Do I not stand before you now?"  
  
"You are a lie. You never existed."  
  
"No, you never wanted me to exist." The Yuuzhan Vong form smiled coyly. "There is a difference."  
  
"She's trying to trick you." Her SGC self warned from behind her.  
  
"I only speak the truth."  
  
"You were born from a lie!"  
  
"As were you!" Her Yuuzhan Vong self countered.  
  
"What do you mean?" Sam asked. How could everything she had been be a lie?  
  
"I was created out of you by others. I am a lie. She was created out of you by others. She is a lie. Everything you are that did not come from yourself is a lie."  
  
"No, I don't accept that." Sam stated determinedly.  
  
"Nor do you accept me, yet here I am."  
  
"I don't want to be like you. I don't want to be a killer."  
  
"So you'd rather be a killer like she is." Yuuzhan Vong Sam glared at SGC Sam.  
  
"I kill only when I have to." SGC Sam shot back.  
  
"And that makes it, what, right? Are those people any less dead than the ones I have killed? You hide behind excuses, 'He is a criminal' or 'If I did not kill him than he would have killed me'. You pass judgement. You decide that they shouldn't live anymore. I do the same. The only difference is I do not masque my intentions." Sam would have gotten dizzy trying to turn in time with the argument, so she simply closed her eyes and listened. The speaker was easy to tell, a dark tone lingering on the voice of her Yuuzhan Vong self.  
  
"You kill for pleasure!" SGC Sam replied.  
  
"So, if I continue to kill, but mourn each death I cause, it is ok then?"  
  
"Killing just because you can is still wrong!"  
  
"Shut up!" Sam cried, unable to take it anymore. She didn't believe all that her Yuuzhan Vong self was saying, but it did force her to question her previous motives before the whole incident. What made her method any better than the Yuuzhan Vong's? Was killing, for any reason, right?  
  
*  
  
Teal'c wiped Sam's brow with a damp cloth, all the while murmuring encouragements into her ear. She had collapsed to the floor near the beginning, many hours ago, and immediately Teal'c had laid her out on his bed. He watched her furrowed brow, aware of the battle raging in her head.  
  
She had to do this on her own, so Teal'c merely gave her all of the support he could.  
  
*  
  
"You still don't understand, do you?" the two chorused, causing Sam's head to snap up.  
  
"Understand what?" Sam had no idea what she was supposed to be doing. Teal'c had made it sound simple. Destroy your tormentor. But, she couldn't decide which one was tormenting her anymore.  
  
"The answer is simple." SGC Sam stated.  
  
"You just don't want to see it." Yuuzhan Vong Sam added.  
  
"See what?" asking questions was getting tiring. Riddles were definitely not her thing.  
  
"Why are you here?" SGC Sam asked.  
  
"To choose."  
  
"Choose what?" Yuuzhan Vong Sam continued.  
  
"Which of you I want to be for the rest of my life."  
  
"And therein lies your problem." Again they spoke at the same time.  
  
"What problem? Just tell me already if it's so simple!" Sam shouted.  
  
"We can't tell you what you already know." SGC Sam informed her.  
  
"Obviously I don't know." Frustrated, Sam felt her face getting wet. Crying again, it was enough to make her disgusted.  
  
"You are mistaken. Rectify it and the answer will be there for you." Yuuzhan Vong Sam finished.  
  
Slowly, Sam turned her head to face her Yuuzhan Vong self. Her eyes widened, realization beginning to dawn. She felt so stupid; the answer really was simple.  
  
"You understand now." A warm smile graced Yuuzhan Vong Sam's lips, but Sam was not surprised to see it there. She did understand now, and from that understanding a choice was made.  
  
Sam opened her eyes to see Teal'c sitting before her, cloth in hand. She could see he was searching her face for some sort of sign. So, she smiled. The biggest, brightest smile she was capable of. Teal'c returned it.  
  
"Who are you?" He asked again, his deep voice barely above a whisper.  
  
Sam did not hesitate to answer. Her words were strong and sure. "Major Samantha Carter, USAF." Not the same Major Samantha Carter as before, and from the look in Teal'c's eye that he understood that as well. His smile did not lessen, though. So, she concluded, he had known all along. "Why all this then? Why didn't you tell me?"  
  
"You would not have listened if I had tried, Major Carter." Of course she wouldn't. The others had all been saying the same thing, in different words, and she had turned them aside. No one had ever told her that she could, or even should, return to what she was before. All they had wanted was for her to accept what had happened and move on from there.  
  
Now, she had. She understood. Neither world would hold her fully anymore. Trying to fit back into the mold that once held her wouldn't work, just as ultimately the Yuuzhan Vong trying to squeeze her into one of their own design didn't.  
  
Teal'c then held the Yuuzhan Vong objects before her. Sam eyed them with indifference. They were merely a means to an end, just like the SGC equipment. An end she could choose for herself. She held them as if they were nothing, because that was what they were. There was nothing special about the objects.  
  
Teal'c also handed over the SGC equipment, and Sam was as equally unfazed. Given either one, she could still do whatever she wanted. Whatever she thought was right.  
  
And what was right was not from the worlds she had existed in.  
  
Right she had to decide for herself.  
  
She was Human.  
  
She was Yuuzhan Vong.  
  
She was Samantha Carter.  
  
~THE END 


End file.
